Obinna Uchendu
Abakaliki
Ebonyi State Government has directed the Member Representing Afikpo North East State Constituency in the state House of Assembly, Hon. Oluchukwu Ukie Ezeali to without further delay report himself to the police authorities over the collapse of a 3 storey building belonging to him.
The Commissioner for Capital City and Urban Development, Chief Sunday Inyima who gave the directive at the scene of the building beside the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki FETHA 1, accused the lawmaker of erecting an illegal and unauthorized structure within the capital city.
The 3 storey building suspected to be a shopping plaza collapsed last night with 2 persons trapped inside who were later rescued alive by a team from the State Ministry of Capital City and Urban Development.
Angered by the unfortunate incident while on the spot assessment of the collapse building, Chief Inyima described the incident as unfortunate adding that two persons overseeing the construction of the collapsed building has been arrested by the police.
“What happened here is very unfortunate. I was immediately informed when the incident happened and I mobilize my men and we saw that the building actually collapsed.
“We have been able to rescue the two persons trapped inside alive. Originally, this is an illegal structure, because the owner of the building came to our ministry and the HOD works informed him that he can’t build on that land.
“The drawing he gave was not approved, but because this place is inside the premises of FETHA 1, our monitoring team did not observed that the building was going on.
“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 Honorable 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 the 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 use of non professional builders.
It was also gathered that the 2 labourers rescued at the collapsed building are currently receiving treatment at the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki.
In an interview with Journalists, one of the labourers, Mr. Celestine Arua said that they were about concluding the days job when he heard a loud sound and before he could escape, the building collapsed on him.
“We were 2 that was trapped at the building, my colleague who is a dumb person and myself. Immediately the sound came, the building collapsed on us and the only thing I saw was myself in the hospital. I must commend the rescue team for their timely intervention.
Hon Ukie Ezeali, could not be reached for his reaction as his phones were switched off. Ends.
