Rivers State to restructure physical planning ministry, prosecute officials

Rivers State Government has announced moves to re-structure and professionalise the State’s Ministry of Urban Development and Physical Planning.The state also vowed to prosecute any official indicted in the collapsed of the seven-storey building at Woji road in New GRA, Port Harcourt, where several lives were lost.

Speaking during the presentation of reports by the Judicial Commission of Inquiry that investigated the incident and the Judicial Commission of Inquiry to the Management and Affairs of Integrated Medical Industries Limited (Auto Syringe Factory) at the Government House Port Harcourt last week, Governor Nyesom Wike stated that his administration will implement the reports of the two commissions.
 
He announced the setting up of a seven-man committee to implement the recommendations of the two commissions of inquiry.He said: “Let me assure you that we wouldn’t have wasted our time and resources setting up the commissions of inquiry. The reports will be duly implemented. 
 
“Anybody indicted for the collapsed building will face the law. If you are connected to the deaths of people, we will prosecute you for murder “.He said that any government official serving or retired who is indicted would face the full weight of the law. On the Integrated Medical Industries Limited (Auto Syringe Factory), Governor Wike said that government cannot be taken for granted.  
 
Chairman of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the seven-storey building collapse at Woji road in New GRA, Port Harcourt, and Justice Adolphus Enebeli while presenting his report said the building approval process at the Ministry of Urban Development and Physical Planning is a mangled mess of procedures. He said that the gory details of the videos are enough to force out tears from the strongest of men.
 
Justice Enebeli said from research findings, the current commission of inquiry is the most incisive x-ray of the operation of the Ministry of Urban Development and Physical Planning.  He said past efforts were ad-hoc in nature.He therefore, urged Governor Wike not to allow the report to be confined to the dustbin of inaction, in deference to those who died in the building collapse. 
 
Chairman of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the Management and Affairs of Integrated Medical Industries Limited (Auto Syringe Factory), Justice Constance Douyle Green said the findings and recommendations of her commission are contained  in a four-volume report.While hoping that the Rivers State Governor will implement the report, Justice Green said the recommendations of the Commission were in line with its 10-point terms of reference.