From Magnus Eze, Enugu
Barely 24 hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) used a hotel at Independence Layout, Enugu, as venue for the issuance of Certificates of Return to the governor-elect, Peter Mbah, his deputy, Ifeanyi Ossai and most winners of House of Assembly seats, the state government sealed the place.
Saturday Sun gathered that the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA, sealed the hall of Bon Platinum hote over alleged structural defect of the double decker facility
There was pandemonium during the issuance of the INEC certificates on Thursday when a big bang occured leading the recipients, the commissioner of police, the INEC staff and numerous others to scamper for safety.
Though the process of the issuance was later completed there, midway through the presentation, there was a loud bang in the hall which sent the people scampering out of the hall, causing a stampede.
Based on the incident, the ECTDA on Friday went for an inspection on the facility and said it discovered the building had no approval plan, together with another upcoming structure in the hotel.
It was doubtful whether the facility could pass integrity test.
Chairman of the control agency, Dr. Josef Onoh said that management of the hotel was impatient with the agency to conclude its investigation of the facility and was bent on holding another function on the distressed hall by Saturday without resolving the problem with the building.
“The hall doesn’t have an approval but the hotel has and there was a structural bang on the hall yesterday (Thursday) when INEC was issuing certificates of return which made everybody to scatter because they thought the building was going to collapse.
“So we went there today for inspection and we are now sealing the place, including another building being developed at the back. The proprietor of the hotel is not ready to exercise patience for the Nigeria Society of Engineers to come for their own inspection, but is asking us to allow her host a wedding there tomorrow and I wonder how much she collected for the event that the venue cannot be relocated. So, we have sealed the hall.”