In the student populated area of Ifite-Awka, located in the capital of Anambra State, Awka, a three-storey building crumbled.
According to eye-witness reports, the building had still been under construction when it caved in.
Reports gathered have revealed that the building was situated in the Nnamdi Azikiwe University students’ hostel dominated area.
One of the witnesses, who agreed to have his name in print, Uchenna Chukwuma, a resident of the area, who shared a video of the collapsed structure, had announced that no life was lost in the incident.
Building collapses has been something of a pattern in Anambra lately, with the most recent one before this incident, being the collapse of a two-storey building in a market in Amawbia. That incident had trapped several vegetable sellers –who frequented the market to make a trade– before they were rescued. Unfortunately, others weren’t so lucky as four persons lost their lives in the incident.
Previously before this, a notable five-floor centenary building owned by Dennis Memorial Grammar School, a mission school set up by the Anglican Church, together with a block of stalls in Ochanja Market owned by Anambra State government had also collapsed one after the other.
Why It Matters
Although the Anambra State governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo had set up a panel to look into the building collapses before this latest tragedy occurred, is enough being done over this pandemic?
These collapses are throwing light to the lack of quality of construction materials, workmanship, and supervision usually enforced during building projects and raises questions over accountability measures that could be enacted to stop this new pandemic in the state.
There is a need for better construction practices, stricter regulations, and improved community awareness to be made regarding building safety so that residents and government officials alike can hold erring workers accountable, thereby minimising reports like these.
