• Expert blame quacks
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By Judex Okoro, Calabar
Tragedy struck the Ikot Eyo community in Calabar Municipality as about 13 persons escaped death and 1 killed following the collapse of a two-storey building under construction.
The incident occurred at Muri Nta Eke Street off Ikot Eyo, Calabar Municipality, Cross River at the weekend when the workers were pouring concrete to complete the second decking of the building.
The storey building is said to be owned by a popular hotel operator, who is also into property development.
The owner, it was learnt, was said to be out of town at the time of the incident, but was at the site two days before the tragedy where he was seen supervising the workers.
Some residents had expressed reservations at the poor quality of work and the speed at which the owner was rushing to complete the building, fearing that it might cave in at any time.
A resident, who simply gave his name as Michael Idorenyen, said he is not surprised that the building collapsed because not only that the workers were not properly supervised, the quality of materials used for the construction poor.
Idorenyen, who claimed to be a civil engineer attached to one of the private firms operating in Calabar, said: “I suspected that even the site supervisor had no knowledge of building construction when I made some enquiries regarding the engineer in charge. When I also saw how they were mixing and pouring concrete, I knew the quality of work was very sub-standard.
“But I couldn’t do otherwise because I was not involved. I only felt concerned as a professional sensing danger ahead. I suspected that those handling the construction work were quacks, thus, the collapse.”
Speaking shortly after inspecting the site of the incident, the Cross River state Commissioner for information, Mr Eric Anderson, said that 13 workers were at the site before the incident but only 10 were there when it occured as three took a break.
According to him: “The people originally working at the site were 13 but three of them took a break before the incident, so only 10 were on the ground when the building collapsed, but the security guard told us that a boy was seen at the site seconds before the collapse.
“So we are here with our equipment to make sure we get to the bottom of the rubble, it is obvious that the contractor who happens to be the owner of the structure was also the site engineer and building engineer and all.
“He is a known person, he is the owner of one of the hotels located at Nsemo Street in Calabar. I have contacted him severally but he has refused to take his calls.
“From what we have seen so far at the site of the incident it is obvious he used substandard materials for the project. The mixtures, the blocks, and the iron rod used were all substandard.
“I’m also aware that the Ministry of Urban Planning and Development had written to him four months ago to stop building but he has been evasive. We would make his details available to security agencies for the due process because we would get to the bottom of the rubble to make sure the boy is found,” Anderson stated.
Tragedy struck the Ikot Eyo community in Calabar Municipality as about 13 persons escaped death and 1 killed following the collapse of a two-storey building under construction.
The incident occurred at Muri Nta Eke Street off Ikot Eyo, Calabar Municipality, Cross River at the weekend when the workers were pouring concrete to complete the second decking of the building.
The storey building is said to be owned by a popular hotel operator, who is also into property development.
The owner, it was learnt, was said to be out of town at the time of the incident, but was at the site two days before the tragedy where he was seen supervising the workers.
Some residents had expressed reservations at the poor quality of work and the speed at which the owner was rushing to complete the building, fearing that it might cave in at any time.
A resident, who simply gave his name as Michael Idorenyen, said he is not surprised that the building collapsed because not only that the workers were not properly supervised, the quality of materials used for the construction poor.
Idorenyen, who claimed to be a civil engineer attached to one of the private firms operating in Calabar, said: “I suspected that even the site supervisor had no knowledge of building construction when I made some enquiries regarding the engineer in charge. When I also saw how they were mixing and pouring concrete, I knew the quality of work was very sub-standard.
“But I couldn’t do otherwise because I was not involved. I only felt concerned as a professional sensing danger ahead. I suspected that those handling the construction work were quacks, thus, the collapse.”
Speaking shortly after inspecting the site of the incident, the Cross River state Commissioner for information, Mr Eric Anderson, said that 13 workers were at the site before the incident but only 10 were there when it occured as three took a break.
According to him: “The people originally working at the site were 13 but three of them took a break before the incident, so only 10 were on the ground when the building collapsed, but the security guard told us that a boy was seen at the site seconds before the collapse.
“So we are here with our equipment to make sure we get to the bottom of the rubble, it is obvious that the contractor who happens to be the owner of the structure was also the site engineer and building engineer and all.
“He is a known person, he is the owner of one of the hotels located at Nsemo Street in Calabar. I have contacted him severally but he has refused to take his calls.
“From what we have seen so far at the site of the incident it is obvious he used substandard materials for the project. The mixtures, the blocks, and the iron rod used were all substandard.
“I’m also aware that the Ministry of Urban Planning and Development had written to him four months ago to stop building but he has been evasive. We would make his details available to security agencies for the due process because we would get to the bottom of the rubble to make sure the boy is found,” Anderson stated.
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