Okenyi Kenechi
The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, says he blocked the prosecution of those indicted in the collapse of a 7-storey structure in November 2018 for political reasons.
This is as he has again, offered to resign from office, if the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, can mention any federal project he has attracted to the state since becoming minister in 2015.
More than 20 persons perished in the building with findings fingering the then commissioner for Urban and physical planning, Reason Onya.
Wike disclosed this during the formal defection ceremony of two former chairmen of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Dr Davies Ikanya and Hon Igo Aguma, and other chieftains of the opposition to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Port Harcourt on Saturday.
The governor explained that Amaechi, who is his predecessor had claimed he sold a Dash 8 aircraft purchased by former Governor, Dr Peter Odili administration to Government of Cross River at the cost of $6million, but has failed to account for the proceeds of the transaction till.
Similarly, the governor disclosed that through intelligence, the state government was able to trace the Dash 8 aircraft belonging the state government that was also purchased by the Odili’s administration to Germany,
Governor Wike said Amaechi’s reign in office as governor was characterised by financial malfeasance.
According to him, $308 million paid by Sahara Energy to acquire the state independent power projects was diverted by the Minister.
The governor, who cited several projects he attracted to Rivers State while he was Minister of State for Education under the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, challenged Amaechi to emulate him by reviving the moribund Port Harcourt seaports in order to create employment opportunity for Rivers’ youths.
Governor Wike narrated that but for his intervention, Dr Reason Onya, who recently defected to the APC would have been charged for murder following his indictment by a judicial panel of inquiry that investigated the building collapse.
Onya stepped down from Wike’s cabinet on November 28, 2018 following controversy surrounding the collapse of the 7-storey building at Woji Road, GRA Phase 2, five days earlier.
He was accused of complicity in collapse of the hotel building, after he allegedly approved the elevation of the building initially designed to be a 5-storey structure to 7-storey.
He, however, denied any wrongdoing.
During the Justice Enebeli’s commission of inquiry set up by Wike to unravel the cause of the collapse, Dr Tammy Danagogo, a former Commissioner in the ministry said dereliction and compromises made by top officials in the ministry was responsible for the collapse of the 7-Storey building.
Danagogo, currently the secretary to the state government, accused Onya of playing a major role in the building collapse.
Danagogo, who served as commissioner in the ministry from October 2011 to December 2013, told Justice Adolphus Enebeli’s Commission of Inquiry that the ministry was bugged by sharp practices.
Danagogo stressed that before he assumed office, there were many sharp practices in the ministry, including indiscriminate approval of building plans by directors.
He pointed out that he was able to curb the excesses in the ministry.
He said, “When I got there, there was indiscriminate approval of building plans by the directors in the ministry.
“Every director approved plans; they (the directors) all had their boys, who would meet every prospective client and take them to their masters. In most cases, the proper thing was not done.
“As a result, I set up a committee consisting members of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Nigerian Institute of Architects and other professional bodies. We restructured the system and came up with a template for building plan approval and a checklist.”
He further accused Onya and directors in the ministry of neglecting their duties.
According to him “Anywhere you see a building collapse, it means that someone has not done his job properly. That is what I have learnt in my experience, otherwise buildings don’t just collapse unless there is a natural disaster.
“There is dereliction of duty and compromise on the part of the commissioner, Dr Reason Onyia, and the directors in the Ministry of Urban Development and Physical Planning, because if the right thing was done, any irregularities on the part of the owner of the building or his agent, in this case, the drawer of the building plan, would have been detected from the approval stage.”
Wike had said those found culpable in the collapse of the building will be prosecuted. However, three years after the commission submitted its report and recommendations, no one has been held accountable.
Part of the recommendation was the prosecution of the owner of the building and Onya, then banning Onya from holding any public office for life.
