• As VC seeks building standards enforcement
From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State government has sealed a students’ hostel in Ohankwu, near the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu -Alike Ikwo l (AE-FUNAI) in Ikwo Local Government Area of the state.
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The hostel known as Pentagon Hostel which belongs a private individual, collapsed yesterday with no life lost
The state Commissioner for Capital City Development, Chief Sunday Inyima visited the site with his team and sealed the building to prevent unauthorised access and ensure public safety.
Inyima ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident, including forensic analysis of the site, structural engineering assessments, and interviews with project stakeholders.
Meanwhile, the vice-chancellor of the university, Professor Sunday Elom, has called on relevant government agencies to ensure strict enforcement of construction standards to ensure that buildings are properly designed and constructed to avoid indiscriminate collapse, which may lead to injury or loss of lives and property.
The vice-chancellor made the call while reacting to the collapse of the 3-storey building.
He lamented the manner private buildings are constructed without proper supervision, monitoring and enforcement of building codes by relevant agencies, warning that if not checked, it might lead to further avoidable disasters.
He called on the Ebonyi State government to institute a full investigation into the hostel collapse to ascertain the probable causes of the disaster in order to punish anyone found culpable, and to serve as a deterrent to corrupt regulators, contractors, engineers and others who might have cut corners, leading to the disaster.
The vice-chancellor further used the opportunity to sympathise with the students who might have lost or had their property trapped in the rubble, and thanked God for preserving them, as there was no loss of life.
He further assured of his administration’s support to the affected students, directing them to liaise with the Student Union Government and the Dean of Students Affairs for proper documentation, and immediate support from the university management.
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