Building believed to belong to House of Assembly Speaker collapses in Enugu; Govt. orders arrest of Site Engineer

From: Madu Ezenoha, Enugu

A two-storied building under construction at Nkpokiti Estate, Independence Layout, Enugu alleged to be owned by the Speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, Edward Ubosi, has collapsed in Enugu, Thursday morning.

There was, however, no casualty. Only two workers  sustained minor injuries.

The workers told journalists at the construction site that they were working when they heard a caving sound and jumped down from the upper floor of the building where they were working.

A former member of the Enugu state House of Assembly whose property is near the collapsed building told journalists anonymously that the affected building belongs to the Speaker of the Enugu state House of Assembly, Hon. Edward Ubosi

The Speaker however failed to respond to text messages put across for him to confirm ownership of the house.

Some of those in the large crowd that surged to watch the collapsed building blamed the incident on poor quality materials used for the construction.

The state commissioner for Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, ECTDA, Mr. Chidi Aroh, who rushed to the scene of the incident said that whereas his ministry takes full responsibility for the incident, the agency had since August 2016 given an order for work to stop   at the site but that they were disobeyed.

He, however, disclosed that he has quickly dispatched a letter to the Police, requesting the arrest of one Engr. Nwokike, who he said was in charge of the site.

Aroh also noted that he has ordered further work to stop on all buildings under construction in the estate until all approval plans are verified, while pledging that such collapse will not occur again in Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s administration.

“This is the first time a building will collapse in Enugu state since the inception of this administration and I can assure you that by the grace of God such will not happen again,” said Aroh.