Simeonjoe1:

Do even professional engineers carry out such test.
Most of those engineer also make use of the quacks to carry out the project to save cost. Or how many engineers have you seen laying the block or carrying out the concrete work or other works? Na still the quack they do all the works under them...

A professional crook calling a non professional crook.

Holluwatarhyor:
Julius berger is a civil engineering company and they can handle the building of structures,because I'm not getting you,are you a builder or a civil engineer to start with??

Holluwatarhyor:
you are right but there are still few good ones,I've lost some projects because I billed up to the right standard for the said projects and the clients are insisting I should come down with the price,but I don't like sleeping with one eye closed,my peace of mind is paramount

christistruth01:



Do you know that Julius Berger himself was a Builder not an Engineer and he got his understanding of building by Transportation of building Materials

LaSenior:
you are definitely right on this one

Honoredeblazac:
I use to think that these quack engineers were the cause of the many building collapse, but I no know that I was wrong. Nigeria has so many trained engineering graduates walking around and speaking big grammar, but once your hire them, you will learn that they are worse than the untrained ones. I can’t tell you the number of times these poorly trained fools were given projects and they hire experienced non engineers who they will pay less to do the job.
Most buildings which collapsed had trained engineers, but whenever something wrong happen, they will claim they owner were stingy or the builders didn’t do as they were told. How come more buildings are collapsing nowadays? Go to Ibadan and other old cities and you will see buildings of over 100 years old still standing. Those who built it were not engineers, but workmen who learnt from the white man. Just like an average graduate today cannot compete with the average diploma holder of the 1960s, the average engineers of today cannot compete with the technicians of 1960s. Na only grammar them sabi.

Emusan:


You're right!



No architect can do that unless the architect is also a structural engineer, what you see are people who are just doing guess work.



You can copy people work on autocad especially the architectural drawings but each building has different structural members which need different structural analysis and detailing but what many so called professionals do is to copy and paste any structural drawings they have and do a guess work on the project.

NotKnown:


The architect has NO RIGHT whatsoever to supervise any building. What are you supervising? That they should follow the drawing or what?
So what then is the job of the structural engineer? What's the job of a builder?

You guys take a lot of things for granted in Nigeria. If Nigeria was truly working a lot of you would have been jailed.

SeniorGee:
It's quite unfortunate. These artisans sweet-talk the clients into patronising them because of their "experience", and yet they have no technical details thinking all sites are thesame!
Pls patronise professionals so that you can sleep well.

lagosrd:


Was that how he got the knowledge of bridge construction too. Pls stop glorifying stupidity

Emusan:


Among the three you mentioned only BUILDER is an Engineer.

Yes civil engineering is vast but it has been narrow down to just three.

Which are:
1. Structure
2. High way
3. Water

Authoreety:
Lol

Holluwatarhyor:
It is not uncommon to see artisans especially bricklayers, masons and carpenters parading themselves as architects, engineers or builders on construction sites across the country.

This trend is very disturbing as the consequence of such imposture is greatly evident in the way some of our buildings are been designed and built. At a time when building collapse has joined the league of serious national issues, it is not out of place to advocate for the relegation of quacks in the construction industry –the industry in Nigeria that is believed to hold the highest number of practicing quacks or pseudo-builders.


In the course of a research in July, 2014, I took a trip to the interiors of Oke-Ira town, a swampy residential area in Ogba, Lagos state and I need not put a spectacle on to see the clear difference between houses designed and built by professionals and those put up by quacks; nearly all the houses built by these pseudo-builders have very noticeable defects (either they have over settled or deflected largely) leaning backward or bending sideways by up to 10 degrees or more to the horizontal and vertical respectively and most of these buildings are less than 15 years old.

Occupiers of such buildings complain of excessive water ingress from the ground nearly all year round and several other sick building syndromes. In addition, some protest the unstable (shaky) nature of the buildings especially those with upper floors while others have been forced to either evacuate one part of the building or simply relocate to other places.

One wonders why having spent around 3 - 5 Million Naira to secure a plot of land in the area, landlords still opt to employ the services of some good-for-nothing quacks who parade themselves as engineers to carry out such important task.

Of peculiar interest was a site on Silifatu Abioye Street in the same area for which passer-bys have turn into a spectacle of some sort because even while construction was still ongoing, the one-storey building continued to settle heavily, leaning backward; perhaps qualifying as the ironic ‘leaning tower’.


On visiting the site, I inquired to know the contractor. A bricklayer (probably in his early 40s) introduced himself as the ‘Engineer’. By closer interrogation and observation, the bricklayer was already confused about the turn of events but continue to express false hope that the building will eventually become strong and stable as soon as it is occupied. I then spoke with the project owner who was also available at the time. I gathered that though he was not very pleased with the condition of his building, he was happy that the building did not collapse.


He later revealed that he plan to put it up for rent to recoup his investment. I could only imagine that the safety of the lives and properties of the innocent tenants is grossly immaterial in the eye of the landlord!

Upon further quizzing, he later admitted that although he was aware that the so-called ‘engineer’ was a common bricklayer, he engaged him in a bid to save cost and for his self-acclaimed high level of competence.


Now he is in a sorry state because by my candid professional assessment, the building will collapse in the near future if nothing is done to remedy the situation since the foundation was not properly constructed. It cannot safely sustain its own load for even half the average life span of a standard building which is pegged at 70 years not to talk of the load to be imposed on it when fully occupied.

This is one in a million regrettable outcomes that accompany the use of quacks for carrying out construction projects. It is often ‘penny wise, pounds foolish’. Just like a draughtsman is not an architect even though he can come up with drawings so also is a bricklayer or mason not a builder or an engineer even though they can lay blocks in bonds and produce concrete respectively.


Don’t be deceived into the cheap talk of these unscrupulous imposters who are always out to deceive people by saying ‘we are more experienced because we have worked with white engineers on several sites’, ‘those professionals only know theory but we have practical knowledge, we are cheaper and better’ and so on.

When the problem comes, they would be nowhere to be found and you would be left to bear it alone.

Always employ the services of professionals –although you may have to pay a little more but it is always worthwhile in the end. Do not join the band-wagon of unwise landlords whose buildings are waiting to make headline news in the media for the wrong reasons.


By Engr Osaz Enobakhare

Emusan:


Among the three you mentioned only BUILDER is an Engineer.

Yes civil engineering is vast but it has been narrow down to just three.

Which are:
1. Structure
2. High way
3. Water

iamL:


You are so on point. Professionalism is not by certificate or title is how well you know the job.

U know how many so called qualified Field engineers we don pursue from site? Even all this abokis know work pass them.

Jokerman:


.... what's NSE or COREN doing about all these anomaly? ..

Oh I know, another eat and drink conference is coming up, and time to award tinubu a fellow...

ikezudon:


The engineers supervise these artisans. I blame them though for collecting chikini money, na why dem no fit run standard parole.

dragunov:


Hanti Obscene Moniker!

Emusan:
Even the so called professionals don't know what Engineering all about especially when it comes to highrise buildings.

They can't generate Structural Data
They can't do simple Structural design
They can't read structural analysis reports

All what you see on site are copy and paste reinforcement arrangements from another design.

Until the industry set the priority straight then we can start to talk of professionalism in construction industry.

NIOB bill that can put all this quacks in their hiding hole has been with National Assembly for years now. What can one say about that?

With this bill, for instance:
Non-building professionals can't set up ordinary Block industry which means all the block industries will be owned by professional that will guarantee standard block.

Obiebanks007:
Bros no vex, u no get talk for mouth
What's engineering if construction!!
Those guys you mentioned, what do they do?


Because most of them didn't go to school, they been seen as quack....abeg 4get this talk u saying,


If it's a white man in this positions you mentioned doing this job I guess they be wen as engineer, because na blacks u remember say them be carpenter, brick layer, mason man e.t.c, and not engineers


Let's promote and support one another
God bless Africa
God bless Nigeria

phemmyfour:
Lol, even my gen repairer is referred to as an Engr....if only they know the difference between an artisan and an engineer

Originalsly:
I don't blame the bricklayer turned engineer.... neither the owner. It is for the authorities to check and allow construction to be safe and meet all requirements. If they have certified and experienced engineer/inspectors ... many buildings would not even get off the ground. Three storey building with this foundation?.... dig it up and start all over again. This wall... you are laying sand blocks?... take the wl down... start over using correct blocks. If this is done... no need for buildings to be collapsing.... this is the root of the problem.

Simeonjoe1:


You get most of this artisans are highly skilled. They've been doing their jobs for years knows most things about completing a project. See USA for example most of those guys no go school and they earn very well and do the work effectively.
They are countless project that this ordinary bricklayers have engaged in. Most of Nigerian 98% homes na ordinary bricklayers they build from start to finish, most of those artisans didn't go to school some can't even speak English but they do their work just fine.
So don't use the mistake of a few to generalize the rest.

Christistruth00:



How many bridges have indigenous Nigerian Engineers built accross River Niger without external help ?

VicM6:
Just the same way chemist go talk say dem be doctor and nurse's....See na 9ja we dey jare, notin freak me again....mechanic don dey teach carpenter work for site now adays, even person wey dey clean inside airplane dey call him self pilot.

Jokerman:


If you are abroad, or in a sane country, you can't be called an engineer... yiu go remain your technician level...