Ebonyi State Government has directed the member representing Afikpo North East Constituency in the state House of Assembly, Hon. Oluchukwu Ukie Ezeali (P-Noble) to immediately report himself to the police authorities for erecting illegal structure which collapsed on Tuesday, within the capital city.
The Commissioner for Capital City and urban Development, Chief Sunday Inyima gave the directive at the scene of the building beside FETHA 1, Abakaliki.
Inyima blamed the state Lawmaker, Oluchukwu Ukie Ezeali for erecting an unauthorized structure in the state.
The Commissioner who was visibly angered by the incident while onspot assessment of the collapse building described it as an unfortunate one and disclosed that two persons who were overseeing the construction of the collapsed building has been arrested by the police.
He noted further that out of the two persons trapped in the collapsed building, one has been successfully rescued as efforts are intesified to rescue the second person alive.
“what happened here is very unfortunate, we have a building collapse at the early hours of this afternoon. I was called on where I’m, and I mobilize my men and we saw that the building actually collapsed.
“We have been able to rescue one person, because we have two persons within the building that collapsed. One person is still being trapped. And we are doing everything possible to ensure that we rescue him alive
“Originally, this is an illegal structure, because the owner of the building came to our ministry and the HOD on works told that him that this place is not buildable. And the drawing he gave was not approved, but because this place is inside the premises of FETHA 1, and anytime you are passing here, the monitoring team may not observed that building is going on here.
“We expected that as an honorable member of the state house of assembly, he should have taken caution and restricted himself from going ahead with this structure, but he defiled our instructions.
“We have arrested two persons who are overseeing the site for him. And I have called the honourable member to report himself to the police” he stated.
Reacting to the incident, the commissioner for works, Engr Stanley Mbam, who equally spoke to newsmen at the scene, described the building collapse as a huge embarrassment to Ebonyi State government.
He however, warned stakeholders, especially those that are building houses to shun patronizing quacks in the State, adding that the collapse of the building may be as a result of patronizing quacks.
On his part, the chairman of Ebonyi State Engineering regulation monitoring of the council for regulation of Engineering Nigeria, Eni Enyinnaya, expressed sadness over the building collapse in the state.
He said that the collapse is a huge economic loss to the owner, and equally warned citizens of the state to refrain from patronizing quacks to avert repeat of this kind incident.
All efforts to reach the lawnmaker, Oluchukwu Ukie Ezeali, as the time of filling this report did yield result as he did not pick calls put across his phone line.
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