By Pamela Eboh
Two four storey buildings located about one foot close to each other at Amobi Street in Onitsha South Local Government Area of Anambra State have been marked for demolition.
The demolition is to avert imminent deaths and casualties and a repeat of what played out three months ago when three buildings collapsed in Onitsha killing a total of eight persons at the site.
Following the demolition, the state government cleared the debris and took over the lands in question.
Recall that a month ago, the two buildings were marked for demolition but the owners allegedly cleaned the demolition marks while heavy business activities were going on at the ground floor.
One of the structure had earlier had it’s decked potions collapse following poor and use of sub standard materials for the project.
Meanwhile the two buildings are currently witnessing cracked pillars and weak decking, a development that ultimately led to the order for demolition.
It was equally observed that the contractors had already constructed another set of slabs preparatory for the decking of the fifth floor despite the demolition order and the two contractors on getting the wind that the local government council would be visiting the area fled to an unknown destinations.
Speaking during the inspection of the site the Chairman of Onitsha South local government area, Chief Emeka Joseph Orji expressed worries that despite the order by government about a month ago, people chose to risk their lives doing business under a death trap.
He said, “The two buildings must go down in the next two days and that is the order and remember that Gov Charles Soludo had directed that all building plans must personally get his approval before construction but these two buildings do not have the approval of the governor.
“We must do this to save the lives of our people and also avert possible deaths and casualties that has always been the results of collapsed buildings ”
“Look at the materials that they are using and you all saw that the back of the building where the two storey decking has already collapsed and we used the tape to block the entrance of the two buildings but they removed it and cleaned up the marks for demolition.”
The two shops which have over 800 shops which have been paid for by traders before the completion of the project is said to have been sold to successive landlords before they were marked for demolition.
