The Development followed an alleged structural defect of the double decker hall which caused a big bang during the issuance of the certificates of return to the election winners on Thursday and which caused pandemonium and made the recipients, the commissioner of police, the INEC staff and numerous others to scamper for safety.
Though the process of the issuance was later completed there, midway through the presentation, there was a loud bang in the hall which sent the people scampering out of the hall, causing a stampede.
Consequently, the ECTDA on Friday went for an inspection on the facility and said it discovered the building had no approval plan, together with another upcoming structure in the hotel.
Disclosing reason for it’s decision on the building, Chairman of Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, Dr. Josef Onoh said that management of the hotel was impatient with the agency to conclude it’s investigation of the facility and was bent on holding another function on the distressed hall by Saturday without resolving the problem with the building.
Onoh said: “The hall doesn’t have an approval but the hotel has and there was a structural band on the hall yesterday (Thursday) when INEC was issuing certificates of return which made everybody to scatter because they thought the building was going to collapse.
“So we went there today for inspection and we are now sealing the place, including another building being developed at the back. The proprietor of the hotel is not ready to exercise patience for the Nigeria Society of Engineers to come for their own inspection, but is asking us to allow her host a wedding there tomorrow and I wonder how much she collected for the event that the venue cannot be relocated. So we have sealed the hall.”
VANGUARD
