As stakeholders urge government to constitute Panel of Inquiry
Emerging facts about the recent collapse of a two-storey building under construction at Eke Oyibo market Amawbia in Awka South council area of Anambra State has revealed that the contractors resisted all efforts to ensure building specifications and quality control, while approval officers from Awka Capital Territory Development Agency, ACTDA lament attacks in the course of enforcement.
Information available to reporters revealed that the Awka Capital Territory Development Authority, had previously issued a STOP WORK order on the structure under construction, yet the builders defied the order and continued construction without compliance.
According to the Head Development Control Mr Charles Ekwunife, most of the buildings have no approval papers adding that staff and officials of the Awka Capital Development Agency ACTDA have been consistently harassed and attacked by contractors at the site, and that at some point the contractors use law enforcement agencies to stop the officials from conducting site inspection.
He further explained that when officers of the Development Control department invite them to present drawings and building plans they refused and continued development without the necessary documentation.
“They use local law enforcement agents, disregard several stop work orders and have no building approval from ACTDA”
“We have it on record that the staff of the department of Development Control were being attacked by contractors when they try to enforce the laws on building”
“The contactors use law enforcement agencies to stop them from going on site inspections and the contractors refused to go and obtain approval from the office of ACTDA”
“The contractors dismiss the stop work mark on those buildings under construction and continued with the job” he said.
Meanwhile residents of the area, including key stakeholders within the community have called on the government of Anambra State led by His Excellency Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo to take urgent steps towards ascertaining the actual cause of that ugly incident by constituting a reputable panel of inquiry that will invite the owner of the building, the contractor and key stakeholders involved in the project for proper interrogation.
They noted that it was devastating losing human lives at the premises due to perceived human error, therefore enjoined relevant government authorities to acknowledge and address the growing controversy surrounding the approval of about three thousand shops, both completed and under construction within the premises.
They dismissed all speculations trailing the incident, contending that it was a means of cover-up for a matter that is yet to be investigated, while insisting that the only acceptable information about the incident should emanate from a government constituted panel of inquiry.
The President General, Awka South Market Amalgamated Traders Union, ASMATU, Ozor Comrade Anayo Nweke in his remarks called for thorough investigation to unravel immediate and remote causes of the incident, stating that the union has equally set up a panel to investigate the incident and make recommendations.
A renowned community leader and Regent of Amawbia (Osoje-eze), Ozor Architect Nnaemeka Mike Maduka, attributed the incident to lack of supervision, noting that the building could not have collapsed if proper supervision was conducted by the relevant authorities.
The Amawbia community leader and Architect with many years experience said that the growing cases of building collapse requires urgent attention of the state and federal governments rise to efficiently regulate the process and ensure that those involved in erecting buildings work according to specifications and standards.
Meanwhile the number of deaths recorded from the incident as at Friday had allegedly risen to three as against the initial report of one person that died earlier while two more persons were rescued bringing the number of survivors to four.
At the site this Friday morning it was gathered that after the death of one staff of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps NSCDC another death was recorded as a carpenter on site also died while his serving carpenter; a young man is suspected to have died in the rubble as the search for his body continues.
Similarly what seemed like a miracle occured at the collapsed building when a little child crawled out of a space in the rubble and reported to the rescue team that her mother was trapped in there .
It took the use of an excavator to clear the rubble and rescue operators assisted the woman to come out of the collapsed building.
The woman was carried away by an ambulance to the Health Center almost opposite the market and she is responding to treatment.
At the Health Center which also doubles as a Maternity the nurse in charge confirmed that the casualties were brought there but that they have returned to their homes after treatment.
