Building collapse scare disrupts issuance of certificate of return in Enugu

The presentation of certificate of return to Enugu State Governor-elect, Peter MBA, was briefly disrupted on Thursday following fears that the hall where the event was held could collapse.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had fixed the certificate issuance event for Mr MBA, his running mate, Ifeanyi Ossai and the 23 House of Assembly members-elect for Bon Platinum Hotel, Enugu.
As people gathered, an alarm was raised by some people who claimed to have heard a bang from the structure. This caused the crowd to scamper for safety.
The police then ordered evacuation of the hall which had as large number of supporters and family members who converged to witness the event.
The Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) sealed off the hotel hall on Friday.
ECTDA, during the inspection of the facility on Friday, said it discovered that the building had no approved plan, together with another upcoming structure in the hotel.
The Chairman of ECTDA, Dr Josef Onoh, added that the hotel’s management was impatient with ECTDA to conclude its investigation of the facility and was bent on holding another function on the distressed hall on Saturday without resolving the problem with the building.
Mr Onoh said: “The hall doesn’t have an approval but the hotel has and there was a structural bang in the hall the previous day when INEC was issuing certificates of return which made everybody to scamper for safety because they thought the building was about to collapse.
“We went there today for inspection and we are now sealing off the place, including another building being developed at the back,“ he said.
Mr Onoh said the proprietor of the hotel was not ready to exercise patience to enable the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) to come for its own inspection.
(NAN)
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette

Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

Anti-Corruption
Emefiele freely looted Nigeria’s treasury, sabotaged economy under Buhari, Osinbajo: Laolu Akande
Godwin Emefiele was arrested on Friday.

NationWide
Brain Drain: ‘Native doctors’ will soon be treating Nigerians if…says Mimiko
According to Mr Mimiko, Nigeria may only have native doctors to turn to for treatment if the medical doctors continue to leave the country in droves.

States
Amotekun nabs suspected burglars, cultist in Osun
He said the suspect was arrested by the Amotekun operatives during a routine patrol in Ilesa town.

NationWide
10th NASS: PDP warns against influencing election of leadership
Mr Ologunagba emphasised the legislature’s independence and insisted that members must be allowed to elect their presiding officers.

World
Ted Kaczynski, ‘Unabomber’ terrorist who targeted victims with letter bombs, dies in U.S. federal prison
He was initially kept at federal supermax prison in Colorado for more than two decades before he was moved to a federal prison medical facility in North Carolina.

States
Ebonyi governor to support security agencies with vehicles
The governor said the meeting became imperative to proffer solutions to security challenges in the state.