The Ghana Institute of Construction (GIOC) has launched the maiden edition of the Ghana construction excellence awards.

The awards will reognise companies and individuals for their adherence to best practices in the construction industry in Ghana.

Speaking at the launch in Accra, President of the GIOC, Prof. Joshua Ayarkwa said there is urgent need for city authorities to reconsider their regard for building codes in the country.

He expressed regret that even though construction is a key sector of the country’s economy, regulation had been tardy and in some cases lacking entirely.

Commenting on the fatal building collapses in recent times, Prof. Ayarkwa said government must be proactive in enforcing building regulations if the situation is to change.

Naturally, project owners would want to minimize cost by using inferior materials and unqualified professionals, he noted.

He added that the state must, however, make such a callous endeavour an expensive one by punishing those who abuse the processes and cut corners.

“With regards to the structure which is the most important thing, the client may not even use qualified structural engineer but he will finally take the drawings to a certain office; that office is a government office; the people sitting there have all been trained by the universities and they are supposed to do the right thing. Do they do the right thing and if they don’t do the right thing what happens to them”?

He said Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies must not just rubber-stamp drawings and let builders do as they please.

The MMDAs, even after construction has commenced, must send inspectors and qualified engineers to inspect and ensure building plans as approved are being followed religiously, he maintained.

The Head of the Building Technology Department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Dr. Bernard Baiden, agreed largely with Prof Ayarkwa on the need reverse the practices that lead to building collapses.

“A building collapsing is not just a problem for the owner, it is also a problem for the nation, it tarnishes our image,” he stressed.

For him, the number of deaths and injuries resulting from accidents at construction sites and building collapses are simply too many to ignore.

The government cannot continue to remain aloof whilst these things happen, Dr. Baiden noted.

“As sad as it may seem, we are not moving in a direction that is finding a lasting solution to the collapse of buildings; the only solution is that the government must call to the table, all the professional bodies that are related to the construction industry and sit down and find a lasting solution and I hope the solution will not just be a paper solution but a solution that will be implemented and enforced,” he said.

He said poor regulation accounts for the rather unfortunate situation where some residential facilities in the capital do not have toilet facilities.

The cascading effect is that tenants have to find a way to dispose of human waste creating gustily sanitation problems Accra and other cities.

Chief Executive of Parakuo Estates, Gaby Mattouk presented a cheque for ¢15,000 to GIOC as the company’s assistance for the awards ceremony.

Mr. Mattouk said he had been in the building and construction industry for more than 30 years and been instrumental in introducing new technologies into the building sector.

“Some have worked, others have not,” he conceded.

“But that doesn’t deter us; we continue to work very hard at finding easier ways and quicker ways of building and very soon we are going to launch a new product that I think is going to spring a surprise on the construction industry,” he revealed.

According to him, the new system will rely largely on unskilled workforce to deliver modern buildings.

The construction excellence awards is slated for 2 October 2015 at Alisa Hotel in Accra.