A three storey building with a pent house on Saturday collapsed in Enugu.
The State government through its commissioners for lands and the Enugu Capital Development Authority, Dr. Emeka Ujam and Engr. Ikechukwu Ugwuegede announced the revocation of the land when they visited the site.
The building said to be owned by a Southern African based businessman, caved in at about 6.40 am.
Work on the collapsed building situated at plot 16 Nnobi street, Uwani Enugu was said to have been stopped since early last year for an undisclosed reason.
As at the time of filing this report, bulldozers from from he Arab Contractors Construction Company and men of the state Fire Service were clearing the debris in search of casualties if any.
The commissioner for Lands, Emeka Ujam told reporters at the site that government was fully aware that the building was not approved and had severally warned the owner and the builders to stop work.
According to the commissioner, the ministry’s field men discovered that the building was defective and the foundation could not carry a 3-storey structure, and henc promptly stopped work on the site.
But the builders, he said, clandestinely continued work and brought it up to the level that led to its collapse.
“This has exonerated us because when we tell them to build according government specifications, they will think we are out to victimize them,” posited Ujam.
Ujam said apart from revoking the land, government would arrest and prosecute all those involved in the continuation of the building by defying its orders.
The commissioner for Enugu Capital Development Authority, Ikechukwu Ugwuegede also told reporters that the owner and builders did not conform with government specifications, “and now this the result.”
Ugwuegede said they exceeded the height for the foundation and announced that henceforth, the government would tighten up the construction processes of buildings.
While regretting that the collapse was the first to occur in Enugu for a very long time, Ugwuegede stressed that henceforth, buildings with up to two floors would now have construction project sign boards mounted at the site during construction.
“this is to allow the public and the authorities know the designers, engineers, contractors and others involved in the construction and hold them liable immediately in the event of this type of incidence,” Ugwuegede explained.
Author: The Nation
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Three-storey building collapses in Enugu
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My best yet to come for Eagles – Ideye
Brown Ideye has said his best is yet to come despite scoring a brace against Burkina Faso in Wednesday’s friendly in Kaduna.
The Dynamo Kyiv strike said he is delighted with the goals as he was sure his goals will come for the Super Eagles.
“I can’t say this is my best moment for Eagles because I know I’m much better than what I did and it’s just a matter of time for my goals to rain for my country,” Ideye told MTNFootball.com
“I thank God I scored both goals and I believe the goals will spur me to more in the subsequent matches. My priority has always been to contribute my quota to the success of Eagles. But I also understand the critics, but sometimes it does not work except you are more patient.”
Ideye said he has never allowed the criticisms to weigh him down, but rather the knocks have driven him to work harder.
“I have never being bothered about the criticisms because I believe in myself so much and the coaches still have the confidence in me,” he told MTNFootball.com
“I will not give up irrespective of the challenges. I am happy to show that I can score goals and I am happy to say it with the two goals against Burkina Faso.”.
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U.S to drop Syria ‘military threat’
The United States will drop its insistence that a United Nations resolution on Syria must be backed by military force, officials say, after strong objections from Russia.
U.S and Russian diplomats say the two sides are edging closer to a deal on Syria’s chemical arsenal, as talks in Geneva enter a third day.
BBC reports they are thrashing out the technical details of the disarmament process.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said a UN report will “overwhelmingly” confirm that poison gas was used last month.
He made no comment on who was to blame for the August 21 attack in eastern Damascus.
But he said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had committed “many crimes against humanity,” in comments at the UN Women’s International Forum that were shown on television.
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Ex- Ondo governor Agagu is dead
Former Ondo State governor, Olusegun Agagu has been reported dead. His death on Friday evening was confirmed by family members who spoke with The Nation.
Details later.
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Why Tafa Balogun was arrested, jailed for fraud -Ribadu
The pioneer Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has explained why he (as an Assistant Commissioner of Police) arrested a former Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun.
He said since justice is blind, Balogun crossed the line and had to face trial for corruption.
He also said there are smarter crooks than ex-governor James Ibori in the country.
The EFCC under Ribadu had arrested and put the former IGP on trial for about N5.7billion official corruption.
Ribadu, who bared his mind on one of the most celebrated trials in the country in an interview with EFCC Magazine, “Zero Tolerance,” said the fear of God made him to arrest the then IGP instead of his status.
He said: “Well, the point is that whoever crosses the line will be dealt with. Whether a constable or an IGP, it’s the same thing. The solution is not to cross the line.
“When you execute your mandate honestly, you become blind to the position of individuals. Justice is blind.
“So, Tafa Balogun was my boss as the Inspector-General of Police, but he crossed the line. He did things that were wrong and was brought to our attention, and the law took its course.
“To be honest, I thank God for having only one fear; that is the fear of God. It is not arrogance or anything, no it’s just that I feel what is right is right and in doing what is right, I don’t fear any mortal.
“I have never looked for anything in terms of benefit in any position I have occupied; even in the police, an IGP could not give me anything.
“A President could not give me anything. Obasanjo never gave me an office pin up till this very moment! Never!
“A lot of people feel EFCC broke several laws or Obasanjo gave me everything. What did he give me? The entire budget of EFCC from beginning up to the time I left was not up to N11billion for five years! We never got anything extra, never!
“The people we brought to justice were the closest people to him (Obasanjo), they were PDP men; but others will turn it upside down and lie. It’s really sad, and a lot of them got away with it.”
On the corruption charges against ex-Governor James Ibori,
“There are worse people than James Ibori in Nigeria. I think probably James was not the smartest one among them. There are some crooks worse than James; and I still see them.
“Some of them are even being celebrated right now in our country. Some of them are trying to re-write history. James didn’t handle his own criminal affairs smartly, and he ended up paying dearly for it.
“There are smarter crooks than James, who did more damage to the EFCC; but God will judge them. James is serving a jail term in the United Kingdom.
“So it was not only James and if we narrow it down to James alone then we are actually underestimating the way corruption fought back.”
Responding to a question, Ribadu said the investigation of Ibori for fraud was not personal.
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Recruitment: Army takes successful candidates to Makurdi
The Nigerian Army on Friday requested successful candidates in the 70th Regular Recruitment Intake for Tradesmen and women to report in Makurdi on Sunday.
In a statement issued by the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Enugu, Col. HA Gambo, the Army advised the candidates to report to the Nigerian Army Military School of Engineering, Makurdi.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the statement advised them to come along with basic personal needs, including items required for personal hygiene.
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Rivers PDP rallies support for Jonathan, Tukur
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers on Friday urged the people of the state to continue to support President Goodluck Jonathan and its national Chairman, Alhaji Bamangar Tukur.
The party’s Secretary in Rivers, Mr. Walter Ibinbia, told journalists in Port Harcourt that Jonathan and Tukur had given the party good leadership.
Ibinbia described as illegal and a breach of the PDP constitution the attempt to open a parallel secretariat of the party in the state.
‘’Factional PDP is an illegality and such must not be accepted.
” We call on the security agencies to rise in defence of the law.
‘’It is also a slight on the person and office of President Goodluck Jonathan who is the constitutional leader of the PDP,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted Ibinbia as saying to journalists.
According to him, the action is provocative, untimely and designed to cause disaffection among members of the party.
” PDP, as a law-abiding party, could not fold its hands and watch events derail from the path of decorum,’’ he said.
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Heavy rain kills baby in Zamfara
... Destroys 100 houses
A five-year-old girl died following heavy rain which also destroyed about 100 houses with many people injured at Magami-maitarko village in Gusau local government area of Zamfara.
One of the victims, Malam Adamu Sarkin-Fawa, who is also the father of the deceased, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Magami village on Friday that the incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday.
According to Sarkin-Fawa, farm produce, the value of which had yet to be determined, were destroyed in the downpour that lasted more than 10 hours.
He said the victims were currently squatting with relatives while those injured were receiving medical attention at various hospitals.
When contacted, Alhaji Atiku Maradun, the Executive Secretary of the state’s Emergency Management Agency (ZEMA), confirmed the incident.
Maradun said the agency would soon embark on an assessment tour of the affected areas to determine the extent of the destruction as well as measures to assist the victims.
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PDP justifies blockade of Rivers Govt House road
The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has justified police blockade of the road leading to Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s residence at the Rivers State Government house in Port Harcourt.
In a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, on Friday, the PDP, instead, accused the governor of inciting the public against the Federal Government and the Rivers State police commissioner, Mbu Joseph Mbu.
“Of particular concern is the manipulation of the media by the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Governor Chibuike Amaechi to mislead Nigerians and create an impression that he was barred by the police and the Federal Government from entering the Rivers State Government House, Port Harcourt.
“This distortion of facts is totally unacceptable and unbefitting of a state governor. It is indeed condemnable that Governor Amaechi has continued to distort facts and interfere in the lawful activities of the police and security operatives ensuring law and order in Rivers State only to manipulate the media and portray himself as the victim,” the statement said.
Metuh added that Amaechi was fully aware that based on the ruling of the courts, the police had sealed off a secretariat illegally opened by some individuals under the name, flag and colour of the PDP, consequent upon which the route leading to the structure and the Government house was also closed.
He accused the governor of defying the closure order by choosing to access the Government House through the same route in company with “unauthorised persons” who sought to beat security to access the sealed secretariat.
“Governor Amaechi cannot feign ignorance of the fact that the route was closed as he must have been fully informed by his security details, otherwise he is running an incompetent government that cannot guarantee the safety and welfare of his state.
“Governor Amaechi must understand that the Nigeria police is a sacred institution which should not in anyway be dragged into politics. In the same vein, he must understand that facts are sacred and should not be distorted under any guise,” Metuh added.
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Jonathan greets Alake at 70
President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday congratulated Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo on his 70th birthday.
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the President extolled the exemplary dedication of the Alake to the promotion of peace, unity, equity, justice and positive development in his domain and Nigeria as a whole.
In the letter written to the Alake, the President praised him for upholding the highest ideals and virtues of traditional institutions in the country.
He said: “I write on behalf of my family, the Government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to express warm felicitations to Your Highness as you celebrate your landmark 70th birthday.”
“You have used your exalted throne to uphold the highest ideals of the traditional institution, steadfastly promoting peace, justice, harmony and positive development in Egbaland and beyond.”
“I pray that Almighty God continues to strengthen and prosper you even as He blesses you with many more years of fulfillment,” he stated
He wished Oba Gbadebo very happy 70th birthday celebrations.