. as Appeal court judge heads panel
By Chuks Eke
The Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Province on the Niger has set up a panel of inquiry to investigate the remote causes of the recent collapse of Centenary building at the Dennis Memorial Grammar School, DMGS, Onitsha in Anambra state which killed one person and sent two others to hospital.
The nine-man panel which was inaugurated on Tuesday by six Anglican Bishops is headed by an Appeal court Judge, Hon. Justice Peter Obiorah, an old boy of DMGS, Onitsha.
The panel has its terms of reference such as looking into the remote cause of the collapse of a five-storey building within the school premises on June 12, 2024.
The Anglican Bishop on the Niger, Rt Rev Dr. Owen Nwokolo, who disclosed this in company of five other Anglican Bishops who came to sympathise with him on the incident and led by the Archbishop, Province on the Niger, His Grace, Most Rev Dr. Alexander Ibezim, as they stormed the scene of the incident to pray and ward off evils, gave the panel a month from the inaugural date of June 18 to submit its report.
Other members of the panel were, Barr. Andy Obianwu-secretary, Shed Onwuasosnya-member, Azuka Onweluzo-member, Ofodile Anieto-member, Peter Okpala-member, Samuel Akabogu-member, Chukwunonso Igboka-member and Kingsley Ibekwe-member.
The panel is to examine among other issues the administrative and technical processes followed during the building to ensure proper proceedings were followed, study the building plans to ensure they meet the standards, to ensure approval was sought and obtained from the approved authority and whether the architectural design was from a qualified architect registered with Architects Registration Council of Nigeria.
The panel is also mandated to enquire whether the structural design was prepared by a qualified architect registered with Architects Registration Council of Nigeria, whether the structural design was done by a structural engineer registered with COREN, whether it was properly supervised during construction, whether materials used went through rigorous testing and cause of the collapse.
Other bishops apart from Owen who is the host Bishop and Ibezim who is the head of Anglican Church in the Niger Province, were, Ephraim Ikeakor of Amichi Diocese, Obiorah Uzochukwu of Mbamili Diocese, Prosper Amah of Ogbaru Diocese and Ndubisi Obi of Nnewi Diocese.
