The Rivers State Government has justified reasons for demolition of the State House of Assembly building explaining that the exercise was carried out to avoid impending calamity envisaged due to structural defects arising from explosion and fire outbreak.
Penpushing reports that Commissioner for Information Joseph Johnson gave the explanation on Wednesday as Governor Siminalayi Fubara presented the state’s 2024 budget proposal to the four-member assembly which had their sitting in the Rivers Government House in Portharcourt
The Commissioner explained that the said explosion and fire incident rendered the building unfit for human use, stressing that there were visible cracks on the walls and the entire structure looked frail and unsafe for legislative business.
Penpushing further reports that Johnson added that after earlier inspection visit of the Governor to determine the level of damage, professional advice was sought on the integrity of the building, adding that after the assessment of the integrity of the complex, experts warned the government that continuing to use the building in its present state would be disastrous.
“The government had tried all cost-saving measures towards the repair of the complex until it bowed to the superior view of rebuilding the complex to a more befitting edifice. In the interim, the Rivers Government has provided an alternative venue for the House of Assembly to conduct its affairs pending the rebuilding of the complex”, Johnson said.
Penpushing also reports that it is recalled that in October the assembly was attacked after an attempt by some lawmakers to initiate impeachment proceedings against the governor,while record has it that the assembly crisis was triggered by the feud between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Meanwhile, as at the time of filing this report twenty-seven of the lawmakers who are loyal to Wike recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) while the four who are loyal to Governor Fubara got a court order which paved the way for them to control the state house of assembly.
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