After over two months that the 7-storey building collapsed at Woji road in New GRA, Port Harcourt, the judicial commissions of inquiry set up to investigate the occurrence has finally presented reports on the incidence.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports two judicial commissions of inquiry were set up to investigate the management and affairs of Integrated Medical Industries Limited (Auto Syringe Factory) and the collapsed 7-storey building at Woji road.
Chairman of the judicial commission of inquiry set up to investigate the 7-storey building collapse at Woji road, Justice Adolphus Enebeli while presenting his report said the building approval process at the Ministry of Urban Development and Physical Planning is a mangled mess of procedures.
Justice Enebeli said from research findings, the current commission of inquiry is the most incisive x-ray of the operation of the Ministry of Urban Development and Physical Planning.
He said past efforts were ad-hoc in nature, and urged Governor Wike not to allow the report to be confined to the dustbin of inaction, in deference to those who died in the building collapse.
He said that the gory details of the videos were enough to force out tears from the strongest of men.
Presenting his report, Chairman of the judicial commission of inquiry set up to investigate the Management and Affairs of Integrated Medical Industries Limited (Auto Syringe Factory), Justice Constance Douyle Green said the findings and recommendations of her commission are contained in a four-volume report.
While hoping that Rivers State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike will implement the report, Justice Green said the recommendations of the commission of inquiry were in line with its 10-point terms of reference.
Speaking during the presentation of the reports, Governor Wike declared that any official indicted over the collapsed 7-storey building will be duly prosecuted, while also stressing that his administration will implement the reports of the two commissions.
The Rivers State Governor thereafter set up a seven-man White Paper Committee to take immediate steps for the implementation of the recommendations of the two commissions of inquiry.
“Let me assure you that we wouldn’t have wasted our time and resources setting up the commissions of inquiry. The reports will be duly implemented. Anybody indicted for the collapsed building will face the law. If you are connected to the deaths of people, we will prosecute you for murder,” he said.
Governor Wike, while noting that the Rivers State Government will take direct measures to restructure and professionalize the State Ministry of Urban Development and Physical Planning, said any government official serving or retired who is indicted will face the full weight of the law.
On the Integrated Medical Industries Limited (Auto Syringe Factory), Governor Wike said that government cannot be taken for granted.