Response/Clarity requested from GSA Director General, Professor Dodoo. Ref: December 11, 2018. comments on Earth Tremors - “Mandatory Testing of Buildings”

Professor Dodoo

Excellent call Prof Dodoo, and thanks for your recommendations. You make some very important points here. I would however state that you are not clear as to what exactly this stress test entails, and if there are specific criteria for testing modern buildings v older buildings.

You would very well agree that most of the buildings in Ghana were constructed decades before the excellent building codes and standards that your organization (GSA) literally came up with just a couple of weeks ago. Therefore, it is safe to assume that almost all the existing buildings do not conform to the new building codes.

To your reference that developed nations routinely inspect every building from foundation through roofing and cabling, they sure do, but often during constructions and major reconstructions. Please note, these are required by government to obtain the necessary certifications and permits but are barely conducted by the government. They are conducted by certified private companies. The government does not step on anybody’s private property to dictate any repairs to them, assuming their original construction or reconstruction met established building codes (permits), and all applicable standards were met. It is helpful for the government to create the environment for growth but must get out of the business of chasing citizens around.

Let me offer an example of what developed countries, we often reference, do and not risk referencing only half of their stories.... as follows: not too long ago, United States switched OFF all analog broadcasting signals in favor of digital transmission, AFTER RUNNING THEM PARALLEL FOR YEARS TO ALLOW THE INDUSTRY (upstream and downstream) TO TRANSITION WITH AS MINIMAL COLLATERAL AS POSSIBLE. The United States government also took the current state seriously, noting that citizens already possessed analog devises such as televisions, prior to the DIGITAL STANDARDS/CODE policy, which amounted to billions of dollars. Here, the United States did not impose a mandatory toned/threat to her citizens. Rather, as part of the transition plan, United States, working in collaboration with the industry, promoted the invention of a ‘digital converter’ box that can be connected to analog Television to convert the digital broadcasting frames into analog picture so the hundreds of millions of citizens will not have to be forced to buy new televisions, or feel threatened of losing services of any kind.

Also, to this, because the government was the one which decided to make the change, of course for national security/advancement, wise minds encouraged the government to plan responsibly for such massive transition.

As part of this effort the United States government offered FREE DIGITAL BOXES to all citizens for a period of time, after which the digital boxes were sold for pennies for a long while, to give procrastinators a chance I’m sure, prior to their current market prices. There was never any language that got government into people’s homes to do ANYTHING. Citizens were free, not chased around by any government.

Accordingly, when developed countries are referenced as a justification to do anything, the full lifecycle of such transition needs to be on the table for a healthier and responsible transition.

I expect the government of Ghana, if we want to be a developed nation one day, to follow promising steps for a successful transition, to accommodate the breath (technical and financial) needed to support citizens thought all transitions.

With ours, I can safely assume that, for the most part, existing buildings in Ghana were constructed with the current building permits. All that has changed here is that the criteria for these permits may have been enhanced to include GSA recommendations. With this, full retroactive compliance with the new building code is near impossible without breaking down people’s homes or unduly creating concerns to citizens of the land.

Unfortunately, your briefing offers no recommendation to how you think the government should alleviate the financial process or the heavy burden that this massive call imposes on our citizens.

The tone of yours may also inadvertently raise concern to home owners of houses that do not conform to the new codes. Will you next be calling on the government to break down people’s homes/building if they are not compliant? Would you share with the citizens of this great nation what you are referring here?

While your call is spot on, some may feel a bit threatened hence this submission.

HERE ARE MY RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Given that almost all the existing buildings predate the new standards, do come up with clear and realistic retrofitting enhancements that existing buildings would (or even must) embark on that way home owners will take them on over a reasonable period of time.

2. Owners of existing buildings must not be unduly pressured to adhere to such massive undertakings in such a short period of time. It may be welcoming for the government to offer some sort of subsidy and technical support in order to ensure a successful transition.

When citizens are unduly pressured, they often comply by offering bribes to officials across all aspects of government to get the required ‘certification’ in order to be left alone. ‘Big Men’ will call other departments of government and ask for exemptions for their favorites and at the end of the day, nothing gets accomplished. GHANA HAS BEEN Messed BY MANY. We are looking up to you to institute a credible process that will not be subjected to these unfortunate occurrences. Undue pressure will unfortunately do.

3. While many advanced countries are getting governments out of people’s lives you encourage government inspectors to be conducting these inspections. Do reconsider and get the government out of people’s faces and certify private companies to effectively take this on.

Your organization should certify private companies and leave home owners alone to call any certified inspector to assist them.... a career opportunity for our youths in technical schools.... (we must think deep, develop the private sector and promote the service industry with every opportunity). Employment!!!

4. A requirement for home insurance may be due now. Another private sector opportunity. And the less application of the building code, the higher one’s insurance premiums may be... etc. let’s allow the Private sector ‘System’ work. When people’s insurances are high, the government will not even need to tell them anything. They would be rushing to comply with those codes themselves in order to reduce their insurance cost.

Above all please have a clear retrofitting guide for existing buildings and make those public.

Great call but adopt these new codes practically, without undue government pressure on home owners and citizens.

I agree to compliance for every new building but please come up with a clear retrofitting guide for existing home owners to adopt.

A country where government chases citizens around for everything, and whose citizens feel threatened, is “light years behind the status of a developed country”, so communications of this nature need to be calibrated and tactfully delivered.

Written by

Dr. Michael Buadoo

“The little I can do to help”