Imo halts construction of morgue in residential area

• Orders demolition of kidnappers’ houses 

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has directed that the on-going work, suspected to be a morgue located in a residential area in Uratta/Prefab- Federal Housing Estate, Owerri, be stopped with immediate effect.

Okorocha, represented at the inspection of the site on Tuesday by his Chief of Staff, Uche Nwosu, ordered an immediate investigation to ascertain if the construction had been pre-approved. He maintained that the master plan for the development of Imo State must be followed.

Over the weekend, residents staged a peaceful protest, urging the government to direct the private investor to relocate to a more suitable site. They adduced that the area is residential and locating a morgue there could be traumatic and cause environmental problems for residents. Nwosu said: “We have seen the building.

We are asking that they suspend work until all necessary investigations are completed. I still have reservations because I can see residential buildings a few metres from the mortuary.”

In another development, Okorocha has ordered that any building discovered to be a kidnappers den be demolished forthwith. Okorocha, who stated this yesterday in Owerri, regrets the upsurge of kidnappings in the state despite the government’s recent efforts to combat them.