Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has ordered the immediate closure and complete sealing of the site of the five-storey building that collapsed along Odili Road in Port Harcourt, vowing that the premises will remain shut until government uncovers the root cause of the tragedy.
The building, which was still under construction, collapsed on Wednesday, leaving one person dead and several others injured, while emergency agencies continue search-and-rescue operations for possible victims trapped beneath the rubble.
Visiting the scene on Thursday, Governor Fubara described the incident as both unfortunate and avoidable, saying preliminary findings indicated that the developer repeatedly resisted efforts by state authorities to inspect the project and ensure compliance with approved building regulations.
The governor, accompanied by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Sir Amairigha Edward Hart, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Special Duties, Dabite Sokari George, said government would leave no stone unturned in determining the circumstances that led to the collapse.
“We are here to see for ourselves this very unfortunate incident,” Fubara said. “I did not come yesterday because I wanted to receive a formal briefing first. The Commissioner informed me that despite several attempts by government officials to inspect the project and assess compliance levels, the developer consistently maintained that the state had no authority to interfere because the site was under the jurisdiction of the Federal Housing Authority.”
The governor stressed that the issue had gone beyond questions of jurisdiction, noting that a life had been lost and families had been thrown into grief as a result of the collapse.
Expressing condolences to the family of the deceased and others affected by the disaster, Fubara insisted that adherence to established engineering and construction standards could have prevented the tragedy.
He lamented that such an incident could occur at a time when advances in engineering, technology and building safety standards have significantly reduced the risks associated with high-rise construction.
“It is regrettable that something like this should happen in the 21st century,” he said. “Engineering has evolved and technology has advanced. One wonders how a project with apparent defects from inception was allowed to continue.”
The governor announced that all activities at the site had been suspended indefinitely pending the outcome of investigations.
“Nothing is going to happen on this site anymore. We will ensure that this place remains completely sealed until we get to the root cause of this incident,” he declared.
The collapse has renewed concerns over compliance with building regulations and the enforcement of safety standards in the construction sector, with stakeholders calling for stricter oversight to prevent similar tragedies.
Meanwhile, rescue workers from multiple emergency agencies continued operations at the site as authorities sought to ascertain whether more victims remained trapped beneath the debris.
