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| The Victims |
The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, has ordered the immediate
arrest of the contractors and engineers that constructed the Reigners Bible
Church International Inc, Uyo, which collapsed on Saturday, killing scores of
people.
Specifically, one of the personal assistants to the governor on media,
Mr. Aniekeme Finbarr, who spoke withCNN’s correspondent Becky Anderson, said
the governor gave the order on Sunday.
“They should be made to answer certain questions so that the state would
be able to get to the root cause of the matter,” the governor was quoted as
saying.
The governor’s call came on the heels of a similar call by the Senate
President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, for a probe of the disaster.
Saraki, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity,
Yusuph Olaniyonu, on Sunday, commiserated with the people of Akwa Ibom over the
incident.
He also called for investigation into the cause of the collapse, which
caused the death of scores of people and injured many others.
While praying for speedy recovery for those still receiving medical
attention in hospitals, he called for “urgent and thorough investigation to
determine both the remote and immediate causes of the building collapse.
“I believe that such an investigation, if sincerely done, will help us
to guard against unnecessary waste of lives, injuries and damage to property in
the future. My heart goes out to all the victims, the Christian community in
Akwa Ibom State and the entire people of the state.”
Some survivors of the church building collapse have also given a
first-hand account of how the building collapsed on Saturday.
One of the survivors, Eno Etim, who spoke with our correspondent, on
Sunday, said the building collapsed shortly after a lady was called to lead the
praise worship.
Etim, who hails from Mbo Local Government Area of the state, said there
was no foreboding of the monumental disaster that was waiting to happen.
The housewife, who spoke shortly before she was moved out of the St.
Luke’s General Hospital, Annua, Uyo, to the University of UYO Teaching, Uyo,
said the congregation was dancing when the church collapsed.
She said that she could not recall how she landed in the hospital,
adding that an iron bar hit her at the back, sending her reeling on the floor
before she passed out.
Explaining that she was not a member of the church, Etim said she had
come to witness the ordination of the presiding pastor of the church, Akan
Weeks, as a bishop, because they both belong to the United Intercessors
Network.
She said, “I was inside the church. Everything was normal; there was no
problem. A lady was called to lead the praise worship session; the governor
came in shortly after that. As the praise worship was going on, the building
fell and I didn’t know how I got here.
“The iron fell on my back forcing me to fall on the ground with my face
down.
“I don’t worship in the church. I worship in the United Intercessors
Network, which Bishop Akan Weeks also belong to. I don’t live in Uyo. I came
all the way from Oron.”
Etim’s niece, Nkoyo Okon, said she was at home when someone called her
and told her about Etim’s plight.
“I knew she went to the church. But she later called me on the phone to
tell me she had been taken to Annua hospital. So, I had to rush down here. I’m
grateful to God she is alive,” Okon said.
Another victim, 22-year-old Emen Akpanitiat, said the building came
down when the congregation embarked on praise worship when the governor came
in.
Akpanitiat, who hails from Ikot Mbonde in Itu LGA, said the church
building collapsed while the congregation was dancing and singing preparatory
to offering collection.
She said, “It was when the governor came and people started dancing.
I’m in pains. The doctor said I’m going to be moved to the University of Uyo
Teaching Hospital.”
Speaking to our correspondent, her sister, Emen Inyang, said the family
was grateful to God for saving her life.
“I was not in the church. I called her number and I was told that she
had been rushed to Annua hospital,” she said.
How Governor Emmanuel escaped – Aide
An aide to the governor, Essien Nduese, has revealed how the governor
narrowly escaped from the disaster.
Nduese, who is a Personal Assistant to the governor on Media, said an
iron bar fell and shattered the seat the governor was sitting on.
He debunked the insinuation that one of the governor’s aides was killed
in the disaster, revealing that it was the man, who was handling the microphone
during the event that was killed.
The PA said the deceased was not on the entourage of the governor and
was not in the employ of the state government.
Nduese said, “He (the deceased) was not standing with the governor
neither was he sitting behind the governor. I worked with the media team to the
governor. The Commissioner for
Information, Mr. Charles Udoh, and the Chief Press Secretary to the governor
Mr. Ekerette Udoh, are in the hospital.
“Ekerette has a dislocation in his left leg; he also has internal
pains. He is better now though he is
still in the hospital.
“The governor did not run; he simply saw the falling iron coming, it
stopped half way, then he walked out.”
According to Nduese, the governor said this at Qua Iboe Church, Ikot
Ekpene Road, Uyo, on Sunday.
He explained that the governor urged Akwa Ibom people to continue
praying for the families of the deceased worshippers and refrain from negative
comments that could further worsen the pains of the bereaved families.
He said that the governor had declared a two-day mourning period in
memory of the departed and for the speedy recovery of the injured.
APC, Ambode mourn
The National Vice-Chairman (South-South) of the All Progressives
Congress, Hillard Eta, has commiserated with the families of those who lost
their lives in the tragedy which occurred in the church.
Also, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, in a statement
on Sunday signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Habib Haruna, also commiserated
with the Akwa Ibom State Government and the families of victims of the Saturday
tragedy.
Ambode said, “It is, indeed, an unfortunate incident and words cannot
really express our sadness as a government over the loss of several lives, who
have become victims of an incident they know nothing about.
“It is, indeed, a pathetic situation and we can only express our
condolence and commiserate with the bereaved families over this incident.
Ambode prayed that God would grant a peaceful repose of the souls of
those killed in the incident and speedy recovery to those injured.
The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has commiserated with his Akwa
Ibom State counterpart, Udom Emmanuel, and the people of state over the church
building collapse which led to loss of lives.
Obaseki also rejoiced with Udom on his survival, which he described as
a miracle.
Obaseki, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, John Mayaki, on
Sunday, said, “We received with shock the sad news of the Reigners’ Bible
Church building collapse on Saturday.
PUNCH
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