Good day Nairalanders.

To start, something happened some days ago, but before I go into it, let me say something most of us might have heard, like me.

Well, growing up in a typical Nigerian city (Aba) back in the days..I was privileged to listen to discussions or conversations about how someone based abroad (Ala-bekee) used to send in money for a building project in the village/city as the case may be; then after some years or over the duration of some months, would return to meet a practically empty plot of land. in some cases, the so-called land would even be nonexistent.

The type of wahala issues like this cause eh, to those who can bear it, they can simply let go since the culprits in most cases are always blood relatives/siblings/uncle's/in-laws etc.

In my line of work I've equally bumped into a couple of such projects..the most recent one being the reason for this thread.

So, some days ago, I was contacted to evaluate a building project; a supposed one storey building comprising of 4x3-bedroom flats. However, only the front flat had been done up to "their" supposed deck beam level.
The owner of this project is based in Philadelphia, U.S.A and is a woman well over the late 60's.
The project supervisor/executioner is an in-law (I think he married one of the woman's daughters based on the information I received)..

Now, the instruction was simple: "Build this house while I send in the funds, at completion you and your family would take one flat and stay as caretakers of the property".

In all honesty, what I saw at the site left me bewildered and I was just wondering the "version" of wickedness at work in the so-called in-law.. seriously!!

By the building regulation standards, a standard building height ought to be at least 3metres. To achieve this during construction (block work stage), we do what I called "4-5-1-3" for bungalow buildings and "4-5-1-2" for lower levels of multi-storey buildings above the D.P.C.
Breakdown:
Above the DPC.
4: the first 4-courses of block work leading up to the window sill.
5: the next 5courses of block works above the window sill leading up to the lintel.
1: the lintel, always having a depth of 225mm (9inches) which is the depth of all block sizes.
3: the final 3-course of block work above the lintel use to level up in readiness for roof work. In multi-storey buildings, this last 3-courses is replaced by 2-courses with the final block removed and a deck beam introduced in its stead.

For the structure under review, what I met was more like a "3-4-1-3" (as shown in the picture) kind of formation following the same format as explained above. Now me sef wey dey think say I short, I still dey bend to enter one of the rooms because the door opening will always hit my forehead, yes, that's how bad it was!
And this is supposed to be a storey building!!

Next, I equally noticed that the plinth beams (mostly referred to as "chaining" at the DPC level), were without stirrups; yes, more like the 3-12mm used were just laid round the areas they thought necessary with over-site concrete (German floor) laid directly on them. Wow! we too Sabi for this country!!!

Well, luckily for this woman in question, she happened to have returned during one of the ceremonies the Igbere people of Abia State is known for, The Igbotonma ceremony, as she was a participant in the 2017 edition, thereafter she was taken to see her project; rooms were too small, kitchen was too small, etc..the house just looked so unplanned. She was heartbroken thus ordered the job to be stopped.

Please our brothers/sisters in the obodo oyibo (abroad) try as much as possible to engage professionals to do these things for you and while at it, endeavour to come in at least once to see the project by yourself and note any peculiar landmarks or something you can use to identify your site from a photograph, before them go begin send photos of Mr Okonkwo's site go give Mr Clinton. Insist on photo updates every 2-days, if not daily or at worst every 3-days..these stories are painful and they don't just touch the heart, the touch the spinal cord too.

Well, for this particular project, discussions are ongoing and a redesign is on the way..by God's grace a follow up thread will be available to show the updates and progress made when the job starts.

Have you experienced anything like this before??
Talk to us so that others can learn.

Best wishes,
Josnac.

cc: Lawyer

Thank you very much for the thread. Many diasporan have fallen victim of dubious people like this in Nigeria and most of them are family members.
In this modern days, there is no reason not to receive daily pictures of your project from your contractors.
Also you are right, why not engage in a professional person to do your project and travel home un-announced to see what is happening with your project.
May God help us all.

Hajji M.

mufutau55, thanks for your contribution.

It's painful though, to see the extent people can go to rip another of their hard earned money.

Josnac:
mufutau55, thanks for your contribution.
It's painful though, to see the extent people can go to rip another of their hard earned money.

Yes Sir. Very sad and painful indeed. But we still have plenty of them. God save us.

Hajji M.

Lalasticlala please can we get more views on this? Let people speak up so that others can learn. Don't worry Sir, I will go back to the site to find you a nice snake �

I sell lands in imo state Nigeria. Please check my profile

My dad used 10 years to build a bungalow in his village.

One day he confided in me that the money he spent building the bungalow in the village could build a five storey building in Abuja town.

Interesting
In this mordern days, there is no reason not to receive daily pictures of your project from your contractors.
Also you are right, why not engage in a professional person to do your project and travel home un-announced to see what is happening with your project.
May God help us all.
May we reap the fruit of our labours

Well it depends on the Type of family...

Becareful If you have a possessive family..

"We have trained you." He his our son... He must pay us back....

The.... What have you done for your family“

The money you sent is not enough...

The entitled parent.. Or family...

My brother has not done anything for me....

Baba run.... Never make that mistake...

Ok

No be today na

The heart of man is wicked

Next time, use Martlines.ng to connect and buy direct from major verified building dealers in the local markets.

Same thing is happening to a guy. He keeps sending money to his family to build a house for him but the project was so slow compared to the amount he has been sending.
His siblings kept squandering the money.
He sent home a bus full of clothes, his eldest brother dissapeared with it.

Now, he met a lady online with the promise of marriage. He started sending money via this girlfriend because he doesn't trust his family.
Not knowing the girl is only subtle demon too.

For everything he wants to buy, this girlfriend will double the price and till now, he's still sending money till now.
The lady's family are also aware and encouraging her to drain the guy.

This is not an hearsay, the lady is my friend

smeag0l:
Please look for a way to inform that guy ASAP. You can save a life by doing this!

I've never spoken to the guy. I only see him on video calls when he's talking with her . And it's not my business neither is it my duty to ruin their relationship.

Recently, he asked the lady to get a shop close to the guy's family house. This lady informed her sister and mother. They advised this lady to convince him to rent the shop in her own state. Stating that, if she gets a shop close the guy's family house, the business will be in the guy's brother's name. So, she was advised to convince him to get the shop in her own family state so the business would be in her name. Also, she should tell him the shop is 5million naira

She has convinced the guy, but I haven't heard about the money though

They have built it indeed

SOME PEOPLE JUST DEY WICKED. U DEY RUN YOUR PERSON STREET


REALLY THE STREETS IS MILITARY EVEN FAMILY CAN'T BE TRUSTED

DAMN!

ALWAYS RESIST THE URGE TO SHALAYE!

He does so at her own risk

People can't be trusted these days

Hahaha so sorry

Nice one..
Its better to live in a hut in USA, than to live in a mansion in Nigeria.

Mheen!

Entrusting ur building construction to an engineer is even far better than relatives. I will never do that mistake.

Manage am na or save the money come buy am yourself

Life sha. It is well

to avoid stories that tourch, try and patronize this new generation estate developers and stop turning you family, friends and relatives to project managers

very simple google developers like lekki gardens, Ardron Homes and a host of others, give them a call and negotiate a meeting with them to formalise the deal most would even allow instalmental payments and you wont have to worry about omo onile as you would have to go with your lawyers


Funny thing is no matter what you tell Sturborn Nigerians they would never yeild... more gulible Nigerians in diaspora would still follow the route of turning an unprofessional relative to a building developer or project managers, its like telling them not to go to libya or other arab countries not to become sex slaves but more people would still go


.

Who go settle this matter naw?

IMO01:
I sell lands in imo state Nigeria. Please check my profile

Not interested!

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