Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
A team of legal practitioners has asked Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State to review the panel of enquiry constituted to review the recent collapse of Dennis Memorial Grammar School (DMGS) Centenary building.
In a letter sent to the Governor on behalf of the DMGS Old Boys and Diocese on the Niger, the team, led by Barr Nnamdi Ibegbu, SAN, urged the governor to withdraw two members of the Panel.
The lawyers named the two members as Prof Akaolisa Ezeagu, chairman of the Panel and Engr. Sir Victor Meju, alleging they reportedly made prejudiced comments and publications following the ugly incident.
The Legal Team cited The Sun Newspaper of 16th June 2024, under the column, Voice of the Nation, with the heading, “No Approval Given For The Collapsed Onitsha School Building – NBRRI,” where Prof Akaolisa Ezeagu made comments and came to the conclusion publicly that there was no authorisation from any quarters before the gigantic structure was erected.
“The Prof had also in the same news publication even before the commencement of investigations attributed the collapse to the foundation, which he claimed was as a result of disconnect between the building team and the Technical Engineer. Prof Ezeagu also in the same publication erroneously stated that preliminary investigation points to foundation problem,” the letter read.
The Legal Team further cited the Punch Newspaper of 14th June 2024 with the headline, “Three More Victims Rescued from Anambra Collapsed Building As Probe Begins.” Engr. Sir Victor Meju, a Mechanical Engineer, and Chairman COREN, Anambra State Chapter, in the Newspaper stated that the collapse could be traced to a faulty Foundation and substandard materials used for construction. He went further to state that the approval was given for a two-storey building, but that our clients decided to add more floors to it.
They expressed worry that the public and the Diocese might not get fair hearing with the duo who had demonstrated manifest bias and unprofessionalism on the matter being members of the Panel.
They further informed the Governor that the identified members of the Panel acted unprofessionally, expressing doubts about their ability to provide unbiased decision in the Panel.
“We urge the Governor, most respectfully, to withdraw the two persons from the panel or in the alternative the two persons be allowed to honorably recuse themselves from the panel, so that natural justice, equity, good conscience and fairness shall prevail in the deliberation and report of the panel,” the letter read.
Applauding Soludo for setting up the panel to investigate both immediate and remote causes of building collapses in parts of the state, the team expressed confidence that the initiative would assist in ensuring utmost professionalism in the construction sector in the state.
