June 25 (THEWILL) — Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has ordered the immediate sealing off of the collapsed multi-storey building on Peter Odili Road in Port Harcourt, alleging that the developer repeatedly blocked state officials from inspecting the project before the disaster that has now claimed two lives.
The governor gave the directive on Thursday during an inspection of the site, declaring that no further activity would be permitted on the premises until authorities establish the exact cause of the collapse and determine whether regulatory breaches contributed to the tragedy.
The building, which was under construction, collapsed on Wednesday, trapping workers and triggering a large-scale rescue operation involving emergency responders, security agencies and volunteers.
By Thursday, rescue teams had recovered a second body from the rubble, raising the confirmed death toll to two. Three other victims were rescued alive and taken to the hospital for treatment, while fears persist that additional persons may still be trapped beneath the debris.
Speaking after receiving briefings from emergency officials, Fubara disclosed that the Rivers State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development had made several attempts to inspect the project during construction but was allegedly prevented from doing so by the developer.
According to the governor, the developer maintained that the project fell under the jurisdiction of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and was therefore outside the oversight of the Rivers State Government.
“Our concern was never about interference. Our responsibility is to protect lives and ensure compliance with building regulations. Unfortunately, what we feared has happened”, Fubara stated.
The governor described the incident as both tragic and avoidable, questioning how a building with apparent structural concerns could have advanced to such a stage despite modern engineering standards and construction technology. He lamented the loss of lives and expressed condolences to affected families, noting that no development project should be allowed to compromise public safety.
“Nothing is going to happen on this site anymore. We are going to ensure that this place remains sealed until we get to the root cause of this incident”, he declared.
Meanwhile, rescue operations continued at the scene as emergency workers raced against time to locate possible survivors trapped beneath the rubble.
Head of Operations of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Port Harcourt, Chidi Ogundu, said specialised equipment had been deployed to support excavation efforts and improve access to sections of the collapsed structure. He disclosed that emergency responders were also preparing to bring down a dangerously suspended lift beam that posed a threat to rescue personnel and nearby structures.
“We are still carrying out rescue operations and searching for anyone who may be trapped beneath the debris”, Ogundu said.
Witnesses at the site reported hearing intermittent cries from beneath portions of the rubble, fuelling hopes that more survivors could still be rescued.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Amairigha Edward-Hart, said preliminary records available to the ministry suggested that approval for the project was granted by the Federal Housing Authority.
He added that investigations had commenced to determine the circumstances surrounding the collapse and pledged stricter monitoring of construction projects across the state.
The incident has intensified scrutiny of building regulation enforcement and professional accountability within the construction sector, particularly following reports that government officials were repeatedly denied access to inspect the project before the collapse.
As anxious relatives and residents gathered around the disaster scene on Thursday, authorities vowed to pursue a thorough investigation aimed at establishing responsibility and preventing a recurrence of similar tragedies.
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