Sir, We, the residents of Tsamiyar Boka Bus Stop, in Hotoro, Kano - Nigeria, are using this opportunity to appeal to you to intervene and save us from a disaster that is waiting to happen. All efforts to get the authorities to take action has fallen on deaf ears. At Tsamiyar Boka Bus Stop, Hotoro-Kano, Nigeria, there are some shops owned by one Alhaji Abdullahi Sammani. Of all the shops in the location, the ones belonging to the said Alhaji Abdullahi are very weak because they were constructed with substandard materials. In fact, the roof decking of all the shops drip water whenever it rained. Late last year, he went ahead and started construction of a new storey on the weak structure that was already showing signs of disintegration. It is baffling how he got an official approval to build the top storey on a structure that had no solid concrete base and inadequate support pillars. When we complained about the quality of the structure, he boasted that an Architect/Engineer registered with COREN (The council responsible for registering Engineers in Nigeria) and NOIB (Nigerian institute of Builders) designed and facilitated the approval, all efforts to get to know the quack engineer has failed to date. All attempts to get the authorities concerned to intervene fell on deaf ears and he has now gone ahead and built the top storey. The structure is showing already signs cracks. The local Urban planning authority and the Institute of builders have come and investigated our claims and confirmed them to be true, but nothing has been done. We are using this opportunity to plead for your intervention for the agencies concerned with the sector to take action thus: · Investigate the approval given for the initial structure. · Investigate the actual construction work done on the shopsif it was as approved. · Investigate if the structure is strong enough to hold the new building without one day collapsing and possibly killing and maiming innocent people. - Investigate who the architects and engineers are so as to prevent future occurences of such dangerous manipulations. - Enforce the removal of the structure to prevent possible loss of lives and properties The rains will soon be here, and we are daily living with a high likelihood that the building may collapse at anytime. In the days of incidents of collapsed buildings all around the world, we feel it is our duty to raise this alarm for the relevant authorities to investigate and stop this flagrant disregard for building regulations and human lives. All efforts to get the Kano State regulatory Agency to intervene has been futile. the last time they came, they just looked and promised to do something, but the matter seems to have been swept under the carpet. And now the Institue of Builders have also investigated but nothing has been done. Please, kindly help us by intervening in the issue. Your action might save lives. Please, save us from this disaster that is waiting for a day to happen. IBRAHIM OYEKANMI (+2347025818401)

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