Speaking on the development, the Executive Chairman of ECTDA, Dr. Josef Umunnakwe Onoh, explained that the decision to seal the church was to save lives and property, avert recurrence of building collapse in the state and ensure that appropriate measures are taken immediately to remedy the dangerous situation in the church.
Dr. Onoh, therefore, disclosed that his agency had directed the leadership of the church to immediately liaise with the state chapter of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) to reassess the level of damage done by the flood and recommend appropriate engineering measures to be applied to fortify the church for public safety and reclaim the wrecked structures on the church’s premises.
This came as the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi will today distribute palliatives to all journalists operating in Enugu State to cushion the effects of the coronavirus lockdown on them.
In a statement by the state Commissioner for Information, Nnanyelugo Chidi Aroh, the event will take place at 12 noon at the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre, Independence Layout, Enugu.
On the sealing of the church, there has been a public outcry, especially from residents living at the bank of Ekulu River, GRA, adjacent to The Lord’s Chosen Church, over the imminent danger posed by the worship centre, which was built on the waterway, on their property.
The ECTDA had served “Stop-work” and “Remove” notices on the ongoing construction work on the premises of the church, which were ignored completely until the recent havoc that wrecked the foundation of the church building to the point of imminent collapse.
Only recently, a three-storey building under construction at Ezeluike Street, Olympic Layout, off One Day, Agbani Road, Awkunanaw, Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State, which was marked “Stop-work” by ECTDA collapsed after the contractor neglected government’s order and continued work on the property.
Reacting, the ECTDA Executive Chairman, announced that “a technical team from ECTDA and the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Enugu State branch, will commence immediate evaluation of the structural integrity and stability of all buildings within the state capital territory”.
He expressed concern over the spate of construction works on the waterway and without building approvals and their imminent dangers and appealed to residents to always adhere strictly to rules and regulations guiding structural development in the state, in order to save lives and avert damage to property.
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