1As the Abia State government begins its inquiry into the events that led to the collapse of a three-story building in the Afaraukwu area of Umuahia during the early hours of last Saturday, a legal professional based in Umuahia, Barr Goodman Iheikwunacho, has urged the investigators to conduct a more thorough examination to discover the primary cause of the incident.
Speaking to reporters in Umuahia on Wednesday, Barr Iheikwunacho emphasized that the investigators must go beyond initial assumptions like technical details to ensure a significant outcome.
The structure was destroyed early on Saturday, allowing a 35-year-old woman, Blessing Ugochukwu, along with her two young children, to escape miraculously.
Consequently, the state government formed a group of investigators on Monday, entrusted with the responsibility of determining the cause of the collapse.
Signs point to the event being looked into by three separate groups, including one from the state government, another from the Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA), and a third from the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), based in Umuahia.
COREN has already dispatched a technical team to the location of the collapsed structure for an initial evaluation of the circumstances.
Barr Iheikwunacho, in response to the situation, stated that the range of inquiries should not be limited, emphasizing that "it must extend beyond the evident factors to uncover the true reason behind the building's collapse and prevent similar incidents in the future."
He emphasized that investigators must move past typical technical problems related to structural flaws and failure to meet building codes, and instead also consider the possibility of sabotage by examining all relevant factors.
I know that the owner of the collapsed building, Chief Ikechi Emenike, is a prominent political figure and a candidate for governor from APC in Abia State in 2023. Therefore, it's impossible to dismiss the chances that his opponents might be involved.
"I have also come across media reports citing residents from the area where the building collapsed, who mentioned they heard a loud noise, with some comparing it to thunder and others to an explosion," he stated.
Iheikwunacho, a property and commercial lawyer, observed that as a leading politician, "you can never know if there are individuals holding grudges against him (Emenike), who might go to any lengths to harm his reputation and image."
Therefore, he argued that the investigations must consider external factors that could have led to the building's collapse.
He stated, "when a structure collapses like a house of cards, numerous factors might have contributed to it."
So, let the investigators broaden their perspectives and tackle their work from all directions and every potential clue, thereby reaching a conclusion that would be beyond doubt.
Meanwhile, the Abia administration has stated that it will conduct an integrity test on the two remaining structures after one of the three three-story buildings on the site collapsed.
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