Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has ordered the immediate and complete sealing of the site of a five-storey building that collapsed along Odili Road in Port Harcourt, banning all further activities at the location until the government uncovers the root cause of the disaster. The governor, who visited the site on Thursday, June 25, 2026, to assess the situation, declared that the site would remain "completely sealed off" pending a full investigation.
The building collapsed on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, killing at least one person and injuring several others, with rescue operations continuing to locate victims trapped beneath the rubble. During his inspection, Governor Fubara, accompanied by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Sir Amairigha Edward Hart, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Special Duties, Dabite Sokari George, revealed that preliminary investigations indicated the developer had misled the state government and resisted proper oversight.
The governor explained that he had delayed his visit to the site to await a formal briefing from relevant agencies. That briefing revealed that the developer had falsely claimed the project was under federal jurisdiction and had repeatedly refused state authorities access for inspection. "He also informed me that when the project was ongoing, they came here severally to inspect what was happening and also to see the level of compliance. But unfortunately, that the developer kept claiming that we don't have any right to interfere," Fubara stated.
Governor Fubara expressed regret over the loss of life, stating that the tragedy could have been avoided if the developer had adhered to established engineering and construction standards. "We feel very sorry and very regretful that such an incident should be happening in this 21st century. 21st century because technology has advanced, engineering has developed. I wonder what kind of engineer would even allow this kind of project to go on when everything about it from inception has been faulty," he said.
He stressed that the focus has now shifted from jurisdictional disputes to accountability. "We're here to see for ourselves the very unfortunate incident that took place here... The issue was no longer about interference but about the life lost to the building collapse and the collateral damage brought upon the family of the deceased," the governor declared. Extending his condolences to the victims' families, he confirmed, "nothing is going to happen on this site any more. We are going to make sure that this place is completely sealed off until we get to the root cause of this incident".
The incident marks the second building collapse in Port Harcourt within 48 hours, following a separate collapse in the Rumuolumeni axis. Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government has denied approving the building plan for the collapsed Odili Road structure, insisting that approval was granted by a federal agency.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments