The Nation Newspaper

Tag: uyo

  • Uyo returns with Akwa Ibom Xmas Carol

    Uyo returns with Akwa Ibom Xmas Carol

    •As Glo-support show holds this weekend

    Perhaps the next event that would enliven the mood of the people of Akwa Ibom State, following last week’s collapse of the Reigners Bible International church building that left several worshipers dead, will be the annual Akwa Ibom State Christmas Carol Festival, billed to take place this Saturday, at the Uyo Township Stadium.

    Next generation network, Globacom, which supported the event in 2015 has announced its readiness to sponsor the event  again. Many believe that the event will double as a thanksgiving service for the State at this time. Glo returns as an exclusive telecoms partner for this year’s edition.

    The festival, with the theme: “Let Our King Be Lifted High”,  is expected to be broadcast live by major television stations, including African Independent Television (AIT), Channels TV, DSTV  (on Africa Magic and dedicated channels) and AKBC.

    Globacom explained that the success of last year’s carol which had award-winning artistes from all over the world, including two Grammy award winners,  informed its decision to sponsor the festival again this year.

    “We fully identify with the Akwa Ibom Christmas Carols festival which has become one of the biggest crowd-pulling events of the Yuletide season. Our desire is to follow the passion of Nigerians and connect them with their passion,” the company said in a statement released in Lagos.

    According to Globacom, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, has already sent a message of appreciation to them for accepting to sponsor this year’s event.

    For the 2016 edition of the festival, multiple award-winning international gospel singer, Don Moen, the PRM band from the United Kingdom, the Kenya Boys Choir and the Kayamba Africa Choral Ensemble are billed to perform.  Other artistes who will entertain guests at the event are some of the country’s top gospel musicians including Sammie Okposo, Buchi, Steve Crown, Elijah Oyelade, Rev. Fr. Patrick Edet, Esther Edoho, Julius Nglass and Perfecta Ekpo.

    The Ibom Orchestra, The Ibom Brass Band and the Akwa Ibom State Government Choir, which put up a brilliant performance in the 2015 edition, will also take turns to thrill the audience. The climax of the show will be the globally acclaimed 10,000-man choir which has a record of rendering remarkable Christmas Carols in a manner that had never been experienced before.

    The event is recognised worldwide, and it was cited in the Guinness Book of Records when, in the 2012 edition, it featured a 9,999-member choir which was reputed to be the largest carol choir on the continent at that time.

     

  • Uyo: Roof supplier, site engineer trade blames

    Uyo: Roof supplier, site engineer trade blames

    Governor suspends heritage festival to honour victims

    Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel, yesterday postponed Ibom Heritage festival (ibomfest) earlier organised to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Akwa Ibom State.
    A statement yesterday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Ekerete Udoh, announced the postponement of the event.
    The statement reads: “This is to inform the general public that the Ibomheritage festival (ibomfest) earlier organised to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Akwa Ibom State has been postponed.
    “This is to honour the casualties arising from the tragic building collapse of The Reigners Bible Church International which has thrown the state into mourning.
    “A new date for the festival will be made public. Let’s continue to pray for the casualties in the accident.”

    Even as the exact number of the dead in the Uyo building collapse remains unknown, the blame game has begun.
    Reigners’ Bible Church International building collapsed on Saturday in the Akwa Ibom State capital.
    The roof supplier, Mr. Idorenyin White and the Site Supervisor, Mr. Anieti Augustine, are trading blames and accusing each other of being the architect of the calamity.
    The consecration service of Apostle Akan Weeks as bishop was on when his church building suddenly collapsed on the worshippers, including Governor Udom Emmanuel.
    On Monday, the police raised the death toll to 29. Emmanuel said 23 people died.
    White, who handled the iron roofing, exonerated himself from blame, saying all the pieces of advice he gave when he noticed some abnormalities in the building were ignored by the site engineer and supervisor, Mr. Augustine.
    White is the Managing Director of White Steel Integrated Services.
    He said a day before the consecration of Apostle Weeks as bishop, he told the construction committee members from the church that the scaffold that was inside the church should not be removed, “but nobody listened because the church has senior engineers”.
    White blamed it all on civil work and not the roofing that he supplied.
    He added that the roof was heavier than the construction, which was 50 per cent done.
    His said: “On Friday, the building had an issue. I called the site manager and showed him that this building has a problem and he saw it with me and he said that after the programme on Saturday that the building will be reinforced.
    “Apart that the building was under construction, they brought experienced engineers to look at it. I told the construction committee members from the church that the scaffold that was inside the church should not be removed, but there was a lot of quarrel between me and the church because of the scaffold.
    “Even another engineer said that the scaffold should not be removed, until everything is completed because the construction was still ongoing. So, the roof was heavier than the construction, which was 50 per cent done.
    “Honestly speaking, I really advised that the scaffold should not be removed but nobody listened because they have senior engineers in the church.
    “They brought one Engineer Inyang and the man even advised that the scaffold should remain until the pole line and metals are tight, but nobody listened.
    “The steel that was used to construct the building was okay. One engineer came and designed the steel and they were working on that. Moreover, that building was not filled, it is during this programme period that they filled the building. The whole thing was compacted. Even the side beam was not fully cast and the side beam in the middle was small.
    “The fault is not from us; the fault is from the civil work.”
    Augustine, who also doubled as the supervisor said the problem was not the structure but the roof, adding that he did not in any way direct that the scaffold be pulled out of the suspending roof.
    He said: “It is not the wall that has defect. Even as the roof fell, that wall was still there. It is the roof that caused the problem. I was not the one that approved the roof. The engineer, Uwem Okoko, brought a team of engineers to come and look at the whole work, then designed the roof that will suit the building.
    “I don’t know whether the roof constructed was designed according to specification because I was not the one that approved it.”

  • Uyo: Why we can’t release names of victims, by police

    Uyo: Why we can’t release names of victims, by police

    •Governor, police disagree on death toll

    The Police yesterday declined to release the names of the dead in Saturday’s Reigners Bible Church International building collapse.
    The police said in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, that the list would be released after the profiling of the dead.
    Police spokesman ASP Cordelia Nwawe, said the names of the dead would be released as soon as the police concluded the profiling of the bodies.
    Nwawe said the death toll had risen to 29. “It was 27 dead persons yesterday. It is now 29,” he said.
    But the figure contradicts the 23 dead given by Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel.
    The governor also told guests at the Solemn Assembly held at the Government house Banquet Hall in honour of the victims that no aide of his died trying to save his life.
    When the police spokesperson was asked if any arrest had been made following Governor Emmanuel’s order that contractors and engineers handled the project be apprehended, Nwawe said: “We will do that when the need arises.”
    Chief Medical Director, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), Prof. Etete Peters, said names of the dead would be released as soon as the police completed the profiling of the bodies.
    He said: “You know it is now a police case. The Commissioner of Police has said we should not release names until they finish the profiling of the dead persons. We need to be careful also so that some people would not claim the bodies of people that do not belong to their families.”
    Yesterday, the Federal Government’s 10-member team of experts arrived in Uyo to complement the efforts of medical personnel.
    The leader of the team and a consultant orthopedic surgeon from the University of Lagos, Prof. Suleiman Giwa, said that the team was put together on the instruction of Health Minister Prof. Isaac Adewole.
    The team, he said, consists of two Neurosurgeons, three orthopaedic surgeons, three plastic surgeons and two specially- trained operating room nurses.
    He said: “The unfortunate incident as you are aware did not affect only the people of Akwa Ibom but all Nigerians and the Health Minister in his wisdom decided that we should raise a team of experts to come to Uyo and render a helping hand and bring succor to the weak, the sick and those who are in dire need of complicated surgery.”
    The team will visit all the hospitals where the victims of the tragedy are admitted, examine them and offer suggestions where necessary to ensure that those who are sick get back to their normal life.
    Giwa said: “As we are here in Akwa Ibom, we did not come empty- handed; we came with drugs and other medical support to make our coming easier, and we are prepared for the task ahead.
    ”We have visited the University Teaching Hospital and we are now at the Ibom Specialist Hospital. So far most of the patients we saw are responding to treatment which is gladdening‘’.
    Peters thanked the Federal Government delegation for coming to Akwa Ibom  at the most appropriate time and  not leaving the state alone in  time of sorrow.

  • 23 people died in church building collapse, says Governor Udom

    23 people died in church building collapse, says Governor Udom

    Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel has declared that not more than 23 lives were lost in last Saturday’s Reigner’s Church building collapse in Uyo.

    He spoke during a solemn assembly at the Government House Banquet Hall in honour of victims of the collapse building on Monday.

    The Governor also debunked the claim that one of his aides who pushed him out of the collapsing building, lost his life in the process.

    He said the only staff directly in his service who died in the incident was a driver who sat elsewhere in another location within the church because he was also a member of the church.

    The Governor said the earlier figures from some sections of the media came as a result of multiple counting of the different private health centres that victims were rushed to, before being transferred to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, and the Specialist hospital in Uyo.

    He thanked God who he said honoured the covenant he made concerning his executive council members, maintaining that none of them died in the disaster.

    He said he was able to charter aircrafts to bring in neuro-surgeons from around the country, adding that his efforts resulted in 99 percent success rate for all the injured victims.

    Acknowledging the presence of the deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, Governor Emmanuel appealed for assistance from the federal government to help in the medical expenses of the victims.

    Governor Emmanuel again reassured Akwa Ibom people not to despaired by the occurrence as God is still with the state, noting that accidents could occur anywhere to anybody.

    He said that what mattered most is that the survivors have been given a second chance by God to straighten their ways so that they would be prepared for judgement after their life on earth.

    “The second chance is for everyone and not just the survivors, and we should be more concerned by the account we would render before God, because He will certainly not be interested in our titles and positions.”

    Goodwill messages were received from the Senate President represented by the Deputy Senate President Senator Ike Ekweremadu and the Governor of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.

    They both extended their condolences to the government and people of the state and assured of their readiness to support the state government’s efforts in ameliorating the crises.

    Prayers where offered for the Divine Intervention of God against further calamity, God’s comfort to the bereaved family and the state.

  • Uyo death toll now 29 – Police

    Uyo death toll now 29 – Police

    … Why we can’t release victims’ names – Force

    The Akwa Ibom State Police Command on Monday said it cannot release the names of those killed in Saturday’s building collapse at the Reigners Bible Church International, Uyo, until it completes the profiling of dead victims.

    Speaking on behalf of the command, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Cordelia Nwawe, said the names of the dead victims would be released to members of the public and the family members as soon as the police concludes the profiling of the corpses.

    Nwawe also said the death toll had risen to 29.

    The PPRO said, “It was 27 dead persons yesterday (Sunday). It is now 29.”

    “We are still doing profiling of the dead victims. We cannot release the names now. We need to critically identify them so that we can release them to their families.”

    When asked if any arrest had been made following Governor Udom Emmanuel’s order that police should arrest the project contractors, Nwawe said the command is yet to arrest anybody.

    “We will do that when the need arises,” she added.

    When contacted, the Chief Medical Director, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, UUTH, Prof. Etete Peters, said names of the dead victims would be released as soon as the police completes its profiling of the dead persons.

     

  • ‘Reigners church ignored ‘stop work’ order from UCCDA’

    ‘Reigners church ignored ‘stop work’ order from UCCDA’

    Fresh facts have emerged that Reigners Bible Church International ignored ‘stop work’ warning from the Uyo Capital City Development Authority, UCCDA, and went ahead to erect the edifice.

    The UCCDA was established by the Akwa Ibom State Edict 13 of 1988 and is vested with the responsibility of managing land within the capital city, designate sites for government and other projects, undertake public sensitisation, and organise stakeholders meetings, enforcement of and demolition illegal structures, among others.

    A source at UCCDA, who preferred anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said the Church building was marked “Stop work” by men of UCCDA at foundation level sometimes in 2013.

    He explained that the founder was asked to bring his building plan, structural design, environmental impact assessment EIA), and other relevant documents relating to the building for assessment, professional advice, supervision & approval, and was required to pay necessary levies to UCCDA on behalf of govt, and other regulatory body like the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), but he refused.

    According to him, in 2014, men of UCCDA visited the site again with the ‘stop work’ order and requested the church to bring its drawing plan for assessment/approval given the topography of the land the church sits on, but Reigners Bible Church International ignored the order.

    He said: “On 16th July 2014, UCCDA marked the place again, but the church building committee, and contractors, out of impunity and pride went ahead to construct the church, accusing the agency of fighting God. Pastor Akan Weeks used his connection in government to suppress UCCDA, and went ahead to raise such magnificent edifice without approval from UCCDA and other relevant agencies.”

     

  • Uyo building collapse: We are reaching out to victims – Church

    Uyo building collapse: We are reaching out to victims – Church

     Reigners Bible Church International, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has released a statement following the tragedy that struck the church last Saturday when the roof of the church building collapsed killing many and injured several others.

    As at Monday the Police said 27 people died when the uncompleted Reigners Bible Church building collapsed while 34 worshippers were injured.

    The church in a statement issued by its Area Pastor, Anietie Daniel, said it is reaching out to the afflicted in various hospitals to hold hands, pray and identify with them in this painful and sorrowful moment in the Body of Christ.

    The church said God will wipe away every tear from their eyes-Revelation 21:4.

    The statement reads: “On behalf of the entire family of Reigners Bible Church International, we share in the agony, pain and anguish of the injured, traumatized and deceased worshippers and guests as a result of the unfortunate collapse of the roof structure during the aborted Bishopric Enthronement Service of our General Overseer; Apostle Akan Weeks on Saturday 10th December at about 1130hours

    “Following the mishap, the Apostle was Not Consecrated at any location as widely reported. The Bishopric Enthronement was never held at the church or anywhere else.

    “The Church is reaching out to the afflicted in various hospitals to hold hands, pray and identify with them in this painful and sorrowful moment in the Body of Christ. God will wipe away every tear from their eyes-Revelation 21:4

    “We Bless God for the demonstration of leadership and love by His Excellency, Our Governor, Government Officials, Medical Practitioners and Law Enforcement Officers. Also various individuals who have donated blood and relief materials, the Churches and brethren who are praying for and with us at this period of tribulation…Isaiah 43:2

    “Our hearts go out to the families of the afflicted even as we pray for the repose of lost souls, divine direction and comfort. Isaiah 40:1″Comfort, yes, Comfort my people, says your God”

    “God will Comfort us all and keep this City, State and Nation from danger and destruction in Jesus Mighty name.”

    The Akwa Ibom State Police Commissioner, Murtala Mani, in a telephone interview with The Nation said investigation into the matter is ongoing.

    When asked if the police have arrested the contractors and engineers that handled the church building, Mani said: “The investigation is ongoing. Investigations are not done on the telephone. That is why I don’t want to comment on that for now.”

     

  • Uyo: Manhunt for builder as police confirm 27 dead

    Uyo: Manhunt for builder as police confirm 27 dead

    The Akwa Ibom State Government yesterday launched a manhunt for the builder of the collapsed church in Uyo, the state capital.

    One of the personal assistants to Governor Udom Emmanuel on Media, Mr Aniekeme Finbarr said the governor ordered the arrest of the contractors and engineers, who handled the building.

    He said they should be made to answer certain questions so that the state would get to the root of the matter.

    Police commissioner

    Murtala Mani said yesterday that 27 people died when the uncompleted Reigners Bible Church building collapsed on Saturday in Uyo.

    He gave the figure of the injured as 37, saying the casualty figures were collated at the end of evacuation late on Saturday.

    Mani said:  ”For now, we can confirm that 27 persons died during the church building collapse on Saturday.

    “We have concluded rescue operation but we are monitoring the situation to see what happens further,” Mani said.

    The victims evacuated from the collapsed church on Uyo Village Road near the Government House are at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, St Lukes Hospital, Ibom Specialist Hospital and Lifecare Hospital.

    Akwa Ibom Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Chairman Aniekeme Uwah, said 22 bodies were deposited at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital.

    Uwah, who could not confirm the total number of deaths in other hospitals, said he had mobilised all medical practitioners in the state to be part of the rescue operation.

    He said it was not possible to identify the number of injured government officials and clergymen because the focus of rescue operation was on saving lives.

    Residents yesterday thronged the scene of the accident to catch a glimpse of the premises were locked and guarded by security operatives.

  • Survivors relive how Uyo church building collapsed

    Survivors relive how Uyo church building collapsed

    Some of the survivors of Saturday’s collapsed church building in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, have recounted their ordeal, saying they escaped by the grace of God.

    Reigners Bible Church International’s building collapsed during a service, killing many worshippers and leaving several others wounded.

    Governor Udom Emmanuel was the special guest of honour at the special service to inaugurate a bishop. He was there with some of his commissioners and special advisers.

    Some of the victims of the disaster are receiving treatment at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH).

    One of the victims, Mr. Thompson Emmanuel, who hailed from Abak, said he could not understand why the building collapsed on the worshippers.

    Emmanuel, 32, is a Personal Assistant to the Special Adviser to Governor Udom Emmanuel on Bureau of Cooperative and Rural Development, Mr. Ekemini Umoh

    He said: “I may not actually know what caused the building to collapse on us. We were inside there and the governor was there. The building collapsed on us all. Many were trapped.

    “That is why I am here in the hospital. I can’t reach my boss now to know where he is because so many people were affected.”

    Another victim, Mrs. Victory Edet, 31, from Itu Local Government Area, said a friend invited her to the church for the ordination of Pastor Akan Weeks.

    Mrs Edet said: “Somebody invited me to the church; so when we got there, we sat down. A few minutes later the governor came.

    “We welcomed the governor. After the congregation finished welcoming the governor, they called the choir to render a song. It was not up to 10 minutes that the house just collapsed.”

    Mrs Edet, who was with her daughter Success, said she sat under the canopy with her baby before the building collapsed on them.

    She said: “Before we knew what was happening, everybody was running. I was sitting under the canopy with my baby in my hands when the building suddenly collapsed. The canopy fell on top of me and hit my baby and me.

    “The person that I came with collected the baby from me. I don’t know how I managed to escape from the scene. The only thing I can remember is that I saw myself outside. Somebody helped me and took me to the hospital. I collected somebody’s phone to call my husband.

    “When my husband came to see me in the hospital, I was not with my baby. Doctors asked my husband to check different hospitals where patients were taken to for my baby. So my baby was found in one of the hospitals. The name of the baby is Success Edet.”

    Miss Esther Akpan from Itu Local Government Area said it was after the congregation had sat down after greeting the governor that the building suddenly collapsed.

    Miss Akpan, 28, said she was in the company of her uncle’s children when the incident occurred.

    She said: “I am a student in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. I came with my uncle to the church because I am staying with him here. He is a member of Reigners Bible Church. My uncle’s name is Mr. George Akpan.

    “We were in the church. Everybody was singing. They said we should stand up to greet the governor. Everybody stood up and later they said we should sit down and we continued in singing praises.

    “Before we knew what was happening, the church building just collapsed. I wanted to run with some of the children. They are my uncle’s children. Two boys, I tried to escape with them; before I knew what was happening, my leg was trapped and I was crying and shouting for help. Nothing happened to the children.”

  • 27 died in Akwa Ibom Church collapse, says Police

    The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has said that 27 people lost their lives in Saturday’s building collapse in Uyo, the state capital.

    The building of Reigners Bible Church International had collapsed during service, killing scores and leaving several others wounded.

    One of the survivors was the state governor, Udom Emmanuel, who was the special guest of honour at the special service.

    Speaking on behalf of the command, the State’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Cordelia Nwawe, said: “27 people have been confirmed dead.”

    Sympathisers have besieged the scene of the collapsed Church building as at the time The Nation visited on Sunday morning.

    There was heavy security presence at the Church gate under lock.

    While residents believe that the actual number of the casualties of may be more, the Nigeria Medical Association Chairman in the State, Dr. Aniekeme Uwah in a statement said reports from the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) indicated that 21 people were brought in dead, while two out of the 23 that were undergoing treatment died due mainly to severe bleeding.