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As Reps summon Chairman of cement manufacturers
By Christiana Ekpa
The President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Prof Sadiq Abubakar, on Monday told the House of Representatives Committee that the arbitrary hike in cement price is directly responsible for the increasing cases of building collapse in the country.
This was as Chairman of the Joint Committee, Hon Gaza Jonathan Gbwefi, summoned the Chairman of the Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria over the arbitrary hike in the price of cement in the country.
He said this at an investigative hearing by the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Solid Minerals, Industry, Commerce and Special Duties, to probe the price increase on Monday
The Chairman of the association who did to turn up for investigative hearing on Monday was summoned after having failed to appear after two invitations, according to the Committee.
The Committee also charged the association to desist from using frivolous court injunction to interfere or halt the ongoing investigation by the House.
Gbewfi said the failure of the cement manufacturers to appear before the committee was an affront to to the powers of the National Assembly.
Gbewfi threatened that appropriate there would be sanctions in accordance with the law if he failed to show up at the next hearing.
The COREN President said the increase was responsible for lowering the standards of infrastructure in the country.
“You will agree with me it is that is one of the key culprits of building collapse. I am trying to connect the hike of price of cement with the standardization in our building and the direct connection of building collapse. Clearly there is a connection with that and I think this something we must interrogate,” Prof Abubakar said.
Gbewfi, who agreed with the COREN President that the cost of cement is a direct relation with building collapse , added it is in direct relation to increase in tenancy rates.
“Anything that has to do with livelihood should be treated as an emergency’” the Committee Chairman said.
At the investigative hearing, the joint committee also queried representatives of the the Nigeria Building and Road Research Institute (NIBRID) and the Federal Competition and Consumers Protection Council (FCCPC) on the arbitrary price increase.
Gbewfi lambasted the representative of the Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC Ms Boladale Adeyinka for not doing enough to protect the consumers of cement in line with Act establishing the agency.
“You are a mother that has forgotten your children,” Gbewfi told the FCCPC.”
