1. Following the collapse a few days ago of a four-storey building under construction at Number 9, Ezenwa Street, Onitsha, the Anambra State Government has set up a panel to probe the incident.
2. The panel is to find out both the immediate and remote causes of the building failure, including the calibre of persons and quality of materials used as well as granting of approval by the appropriate regulatory body.
3. Determining the cause(s) will go a long way to prevent similar occurrences in the state. This is part of the overall strategy to make Anambra remain the safest and most peaceful state in Nigeria.
4. Governor Willie Obiano has stated that members will be drawn from, among other bodies, the Nigerian Institute of Building, the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Anambra Raw Materials Testing Laboratory and the State Emergency Management Agency as well as the Nigeria Police Force.
5. The Government of Anambra State regrets that the collapse of the building at 9, Ezenwa Street, Onitsha, led to the death of two persons, including the site engineer. We condole the families and friends of the victims. The state government will underwrite the medical bills of victims who are receiving treatment in the hospital.
6. The government appreciates the efforts of individuals and organizations that worked tirelessly to save the lives of victims of the building failure and ensure that the incident did not result in chaos. We thank individual volunteers, the Nigeria Police Force, the National Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Federal Radio Safety Corps, the Anambra State Road Traffic Agency, the State Emergency Management Agency and the Red Cross as well as the Anambra State Road Maintenance Agency for their heroic roles.
7. These individuals and organizations demonstrate continually that we are a caring society. This is in keeping with our philosophy and tradition of onye aghana nwanne ya.
God bless Anambra State, the Light of the Nation.
C. Don Adinuba,
Commissioner for Information & Public Enlightenment.
