A’ Ibom building collapse: 2 dead, 3 in life threatening conditions, government mute sanctions
No fewer than two persons have been confirmed dead while three others are still lying critically wounded in the hospital following the collapse of a four-storey building which occurred on Saturday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Already, the state government has set up a panel of inquiry into the building collapse, threatening that violators of building regulations would not be spared.
The Saturday incident of the collapsed four-story building that is still under construction trapped construction workers in the rubble. The property is located at Iman street, off Aka road, Uyo, the State capital, collapsed on Saturday.
The state deputy governor, Mr. Moses Ekpo who led other government functionaries including the state commissioner of Police Olatoye Durusinmi to the scene, said he was at the scene to have first-hand information about the situation and to sympathize with those who lost their loved ones in the sad incident.
Fielding questions from newsmen on Sunday, Mr Ekpo, said the State government would set up an inquiry to ascertain why and how it happened, adding that, anyone found guilty would be sanctioned.
“I came here first and foremost to sympathize with the families of those who lost their loved ones and since I came this is the question I have been asking, where are the relations?
“We must also investigate why and how it happened, to ascertain the personalities that are involved. It’s is after the enquiry that the state government would know what to do, but like I said earlier, whoever violates the building regulations, the law must take it course” he said.
Meanwhile, the zonal coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency, South-South, Godwin Tepikor, who confirmed the casualty figure while speaking with newsmen called for enhanced enforcement of building codes in the country.
“I was informed about this incident about 7 pm yesterday ( Saturday) and I quickly mobilized relevant stakeholders namely; the federal road safety corps, the Civic Defense, the fire service and the Red Cross. And I advised that they should contact any construction company to mobilize their excavator because what we needed was to rescue people alive.
“So, that commenced yesterday ( Saturday) up till now and that is what is still going on. So, we have recovered one dead body here and the other died in the hospital because of multiple injuries.
On what should be done to curb incessant building collapse, he said “I think that we should enhance enforcement, because it is possible that the property got approval and it is possible that the terms of the approval were not followed. Substantial material may have been used, so if there was the enforcement of building codes we would have been able to stem the tide of building collapse”.
