Houses built by quacks, non-certified developers or fake development control agents across Anambra State risk demolition due to the incessant building collapses in the state suspected to be because of poor handling by building agents.

The Chairman and Managing Director, Anambra State Physical Planning Board, Chike Maduekwe, gave this indication on Tuesday, during an inspection carried out with his team at Abatete, Uke, and Umuoji communities in Idemili North Local Government Area.

Maduekwe also warned those who parade themselves in the state as members of Registered Engineering Council of Nigeria, moving around, collecting huge amounts of money from houses marked as illegal structure for demolition, to desist from such acts.

Our correspondent gathered that over 20 buildings, including residential, commercial, school buildings collapsed and over 25 deaths recorded in the state, while several others injured or maimed in the last seven months.

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Most of the collapsed structures were fingered to have been constructed by quacks according to the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria and other certified building agencies.

During the inspection, the ASPPB chairman observed that developers who had already been issued several notices with inscriptions “To stop work”, were still working and also threatening, harassing and assaulting the agency’s staff members whenever they went on inspection.

He told the developers that the building sector must be sanitised and people must show their building permit, even as he maintained that the window period of August 1 to October 31 had been provided for developers to tidy up and present their permits.

He insisted that when the grace period elapsed, any structure without building permit would be pulled down and the owner charged to court.

He said, “Following the constant collapse of buildings in the state, the Anambra State Government has embarked on ‘Operation show your building permit’ aimed at sanitising the sector. Mr Governor has told us that we should not allow any person to intimidate any official government worker anymore and we want to send out a message to the developers. Please, don’t think the government is playing.

“People are living as if we are in a lawless society. That period is over. We will no longer tolerate all those kinds of impunity where people build and say nothing will happen.

“Every building in the state without approval has been suspended and every approval given to developers has been demanded for revalidation for the building permit because of lapses observed.

“A lot of people are taking government for granted by commencing buildings without permit. Most times, they avoid getting permits either because the land is in dispute or they don’t have the proper documents. On several occasions, our staff were harassed and threatened with all kinds of thugs, a few days ago when they came for their official assignment at a site, they were chased away.”

He said there were government regulations in building which state clearly that one could not build anything again in the state without approval.