-Sets up ad hoc committee
By Martin Nwoko
The Imo State House of Assembly under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Chiji Collins during it’s plenary yesterday resolved to look into the root cause of the recent collapse of the 8 storey building proposed to be a hotel situated along Alh. Musa Yar’adua drive Area K new Owerri which took the lives of about four persons and many others who were severely injured.
This was sequel to a motion jointly sponsored by Barr. Dominic Ezerioha member representing Oru West and the Deputy Speaker of the house Rt. Hon. Chyna Iwuanyanwu and eight other members.
The motion states,”Whereas Imo State witnessed a tragic building collaspe, involving an eight (8) storey building, proposed to be a hotel, still under construction, in the evening of 30th April, 2020, at about 5.38pm,we can’t sweep the cause under the carpet ” .
The motion also commended the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma for rising to the occasion immediately the news filttered and sent his Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff, Commissioner for health and his works counterpart to rescue those trapped in the rubbles.
Contributing , the sponsor of the motion Barr. Dominic Ezerioha urged the house to call on the Governor of Imo State to direct the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Works to urgently create an emergency response team in Owerri Capital Development Authority (OCDA) or Imo Housing Corporation to always be at alert to rise to any occasion calling for emergency intervention in the state, in respect of civil works accident .
The 9th House of Assembly therefore resolved to set an ad hoc committee to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the 8 storey collapse namely the the contractor or the contracting firm incharged of the collasped building , to ascertain whether or not the building conformed with the laid down government approved standard in respect of approved building plans, structural engineering formations. It also proposed to recommend the appropriate sanction against any person’s or government officials that compromised standard leading to the collaspe of the building.
The motion also called for the invitation of the OCDA boss to the Committee to explain why such approval was given and also to review, amend or come up with a draft for a new legislation to guide every civil works in the state if need be in collaboration with the relevant authorities in the field.
Following a unanimous adoption by the majority of the house members as put to vote by the Speaker of the house, Rt. Hon. Chiji Collins, set up a seven man Committee to be headed by the Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Amara Iwuanyanwu member representing Nwangele state constituency.
Oher members of the committee include Barr. Dominic Ezerioha member Oru West, Hon. Michael Crown Onyemaechi Ihitte Uboma, Rt. Hon.Ngozi Obiefule member Isu state constituency, Hon. Eddy Obinna member Aboh Mbaise, Hon. Solomon Anukam member Owerri Municipal, and Hon. Johnson Duru member Ideato South. The Committee was asked to report back to the house on 13th May 2020.
