Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, has given reasons for Wednesday’s demolition of the Rivers House of Assembly Complex.
The political crisis rocking Rivers State took a new dimension on Wednesday with the state government, demolishing the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex.
Bulldozers could be seen around the complex on Wednesday morning bringing down Assembly structure weeks after it recorded an explosion which destroyed parts of the assembly complex including the legislative chamber.
This demolition of the complex comes a day after a Rivers State High Court recognised Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s loyalist, Ehie as the Speaker of the House pending the determination of the substantial suit before it.
On Monday, the strained relationship between former Governor Nyesome Wike and Fubara worsened when 27 lawmakers in the state Assembly loyal to Wike out of 32 defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
But the Information Commissioner explained in a statement issued on Wednesday the demolition was carried out due to the fire that gutted the complex and destroyed property worth millions of naira, which he said rendered the facility unfit for legislation.
The statement read, “The Rivers State Government says the decision to demolish and rebuild the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex was due to the structural defects which arose mainly as a result of the recent explosion and fire incident which rendered the main building unfit for human use.
“After the visit of the governor to inspect the level of damage done to the building on the day of the fire incident, it became necessary to invite professionals to advise the government on the integrity of the building.
“It would be recalled that on the night of the attack on the complex, explosive dynamites were used to attack the complex which shook it to foundation.
“There were visible cracks on the walls afterwards, and the entire structure looked frail and unsafe for legislative business
“After the assessment of the integrity of the complex, the experts warned the government that continuing to use the building in its present state would be disastrous.”
“In the interim, the Rivers State Government has provided an alternative venue for the House of Assembly to conduct their affairs pending the rebuilding of the complex, ” the statement added.
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