Disaster is a destructive event that instigates serious loss (both lives and properties), hardship, sadness and misfortunes. Disasters could either be a natural or man-made phenomenon. Classically, no nation of the world is insulated from phenomenal occurrences, especially natural phenomenon.

Though, it could still be managed. The building collapse in Taiwan caused by an earthquake (natural phenomenon) some weeks ago is an example of a natural disaster. Yet, developing and developed nations strive or thrive to control man-made disasters to the barest minimum. This is why disaster control has become a major concern for many climes.

Engineers are problem solvers and the role of technology in any social order cannot be overemphasized. Even, in disaster control, the impact of technology cannot be toned down. Around the flora and fauna, Engineers and several other professionals have saved climes from needless occurrences such as fire outbreaks, building collapses, structural failures, installation faults etc.

It is therefore a disaster control strategy to engage more professionals in disaster management as deemed fit. However, this strategy must be a long-term preventive plot. Even though, short and medium term preventive measures should be accorded more precedence. Of course, in disaster control measures, the preventive actions are better, less-expensive and safer than corrective actions.

In the Federal Republic of Nigeria, especially in Lagos state, building collapse is no longer a novel occurrence. The several occurrences across Nigeria as noted by The Punch report, “10 tragic building collapses in Nigeria” are most times man-made disasters because it could have been prevented or at least, drastically reduced.

A comprehensible survey conducted with well-structured questionnaires and proportionately administered to landlords, professionals, academics has highlighted the root causes of building collapses in Nigeria to include: the use of impoverished building materials and equipments, employment of incompetent contractors, weak supervision or monitoring, non-compliance with standards or specifications, non-enforcement of building codes by town planners, non-enforcement of existing laws and so on.

In fact, Chapter 2 of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution, section 20, states that: the state shall protect and improve the environment and safeguard the water, air, and land, forest and wild life in Nigeria. It means that the Nigerian constitution also promised public safety.

Nevertheless, each time our lapses as a nation-state are exposed, flimsy excuses are most times given just like the Lekki building collapse case. On top of this, the government and other relevant bodies take sides by taking up the blame culture. On either side of the divide, public safety must be the concern. The blame culture must stop. We cannot continue to lose our fellow and promising Nigerians because of human negligence and the shortfalls of government.

Simply, the government must enforce more building and construction regulations that will ultimately guarantee public safety. Government at all levels must as a matter of urgency look holistically into the activities of supervisory bodies in their respective vicinities.
Intuitively, before some persons or contractors disregards supervisory laws and consequently threaten public safety, some liquid or mutual agreement must have been reached between both parties. There is more to this than just meet the eyes.

In a country where corruption has hanged on for so long and money continues to hoodwink people’s credence, disaster control becomes relatively difficult. In view of this, conscious and concerted efforts must be taken by all relevant disaster control agencies to achieve public security as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.

For instance, in 2006, building collapses were reported from corner to corner in Lagos state. The reasons given for the 2006 building collapses in Lagos state were: poor construction, use of impoverished building materials, incompetent work personnel, among others. In all these same old stories, what has the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON done effectively? Aside arresting and probably prosecuting incompetent contractors, what has government done to checkmate their diurnal or nocturnal activities?

Year on year, Nigerians are killed, maimed and injured because of human laxities. Also, in 2014, mortal negligence came to the fore again. An inn lodging hundreds of people collapsed in the Synagogue Church premises in Lagos state. This time round, the number of casualties recorded was the worst in the history of building collapses in Nigeria.

After Rescue efforts by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other emergency agencies, reports have had it that: at least 150 people died and many more were injured.

Again, the reasons given for the collapse could have been circumvented if only we had painstakingly studied past accidents and remedied causes.

Indira Gandhi once said there are moments in history when brooding tragedy and its dark shadows can be lightened by recalling great moments of the past. Albeit, one problem I have discovered we have as a nation is that: we seem not to learn appropriately from past mistakes and errors.

This is overt when you view Nigeria from the angle of living history. The sequence of events in our history books is advisory enough to circumvent some present and even future challenges but we have refused to learn from it. That is one of our great downfalls as a nation.

In any new installation, safety tests (electrical, mechanical or structural tests) must be carried out. Before entering into a new-fangled construction, safety tests like insulation resistance test, earth leakage test, and polarity test et al should have been carried out.

How many of those burnt houses that increased our list of man-made disasters went through all those safety tests? Standards, codes and regulations are expedient in the quest of safe-guarding lives and properties. Also, the use of catalogue cannot be undervalued. That is one purpose of the NEC code. Besides that, the code addresses issues that borders on design, installation and maintenance. Let me digress for tittle-tattle.

When disaster, like fire outbreak or building collapse happen in Nigeria, some Nigerians tend to view those accidents from the spiritual angle. Can the devil be in Ondo, Lagos and Anambra states at the same time? After all, the devil moves to and fro. The monster doesn’t have the capacity of God. That said, this writer does not rule out the place of spirituality in natural or man-made disasters. This writer is only critical of the blame culture that has overshadowed our need to do the needing.

Weeks ago, another building collapse was reported in Lagos state. The collapse of the unfinished building which occurred in the Lekki district of Lagos left many dead. According to NEMA, at least thirty-five people have died while some others suffered from various degrees of injuries.

In pangs of pity, I asked myself- Why have we refused to learn, unlearn and relearn in this nation? If governance is the development of people, where is the place of protecting these same people?

Not until Lassa fever (a viral disease in West-Africa) broke the surface again after some out of sight years in Nigeria, we never acted continuously upon earlier recommendations to remedy the virus. The recommendation notes were all coated with dusts. So, it took us by surprise when it resurfaced again, casualties increased on daily basis and panic gripped the hearts of many.

According to age (achievement aside), Nigeria is no longer a young entity who can cope favourably with “long-distance” challenge. We must be more proactive in our approach rather than running helter-skelter to fix immediate problems as they come. For the essence of public safety therefore, the overall Nigerian system and institutions must be made to work.

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Op–ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija

Orukotan, Ayomikun Samuel, a young social commentator and recent graduate of Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the Federal University of Technology Akure, writes from Ondo.
Mail: orukotanayomikun@yahoo.com