•Govt Declares Developer Wanted
By ERIC MOORE
A MIDDLE-AGED man has lost his life in a collapsed two-storey building in Egbelu Mgbaraja axis of Ogbogoro Community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
This came barely a week after the collapse of a three-storey building in Iriebe axis of the same LGA, although no life was lost in that incident.
In the latest incident, the building was under construction at Ogbogoro and caved in while the contractors were working on the second floor, killing one of workers, while another narrowly escaped with severe injuries.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government has sealed the premises of the collapsed building and declared the property developer, Vincent Nwoye, wanted.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Evans Bipi, during an on-the-spot inspection of the collapsed building accused the developer of gross negligence and default of the extant building laws and regulations the state.
He cited failure by the property developer to obtain government-approved building plan and use of substandard materials as the cause of the building collapse and avoidable death.
Bipi said: “We have repeatedly warned that if you are caught building without government-approved building plan, you will certainly face the penalty.
“Government has sealed this property in question and declared the owner wanted because a life has been lost, we need to question him to know why he chose to use substandard materials to execute the project, on why he decided to use 12mm rod for a two-storey building.
“It would interest the public to know that even the property does not have government approval, it is something the government will not take lightly, we will use this developer as scapegoat for others to learn.”