By Oto-obong UFOTThe Government of Akwa Ibom State has released a White Paper on the Report of the Commission of Inquiry setup to investigate the December 10th, 2016 Reigners Bible Church collapse in Uyo.
The White Paper which was jointly signed by the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State Deacon Udom Emmanuel and the Head of Civil Service, Akwa Ibom State Mrs Ekereobong Akpan, and dated November 2017 was made public on Monday, 9th April 2018.
The paper, against the recommendation of the Panel of Inquiry, exonerates the Founder/ General Overseer of Reigners Bible Church Apostle (Dr.) Akan Weeks of all professional causes of the collapsed building explaining that Apostle Weeks depended on the professional prowess of the professionals he engaged to supervise the building project.
The state government based its decision on the fact that it is the obligation of the professionals ( in this case, Mr Anietie Ndarake and Idorenyin Udoh) to at all cost, execute due care and skill in the discharge of their duties or resign their appointment where they are not allowed to do so.
‘However, facts available indicate that Apostle (Dr.)Akan Weeks relied on the professionals he engaged. It is the obligation of the professionals to execute due care and skill in the discharge of their duties or resign their appointment where they are not allowed to do so.’
According to the paper, Mr Anietie Ndarake was found culpable for fraudulently offering himself as an architect and assuming the responsibility of a project he lacked requisite knowledge and experience to handle and for ignoring the observed cracks on one of the roofing beams when his attention was invited to it on the 9th December, 2016 but promised to work on the crack after the enthronement event on December 10th, 2016.
Idorenyin Udoh, the welder who fitted the roof of the collapse building was found culpable for neglecting the design by Engr Lawi Stephen and for using a different design without gusset plates. The document indicted him for going beyond the scope of his knowledge and competence, for not seeking to work under the supervision/instruction of a qualified engineer and for allowing himself to be buckled under Akan Weeks’ pressure to effect the removal of two of the derricks supporting the roof structure on December 8th, 2016.
Meanwhile, the Akwa Ibom State Government decided that Prince Effiong Akpan who was the Head Town Planning, Uyo Capital City Development Authority (UCCDA) as at the time of the building collapse and Etido Udoh, a staff of UCCDA shall face the disciplinary committee of the agency for duty negligence.
Prince Effiong Akpan is found culpable for neglecting to use the power appropriated to his office by law to stop work at the building site at the foundation level after several stop work notice and his August 16th, 2916 demolition notice. Etido Udoh is to face UCCDA disciplinary Committee for touting and fraudulent misrepresentation of himself as agent who is capable of securing approval for building on government reserved areas even when he was on study leave.
However, Akwa Ibom State Government has decided to pay the sum of one million Naira to dependants or administrators of the estate of those who lost their lives during the church collapse provided their names are on the records of the state Ministry of Health as at the time of the incident.
‘Government accepts the recommendation to pay the sum of one million Naira (1,000 000 .00) only to the dependants or administrators of the estate of the deceased based on record that was with the Ministry of Health as at the time of the incident. Government rejects the setting up of a Trust Fund for the dependants if the deceased and injured victims. Government further rejects payment of the sum of one hundred thousand Naira (100 000. 00) only to the injured persons.’
Government has also accepted to construct a secondary health facility in the capital city of Uyo as Uyo appears to be the only capital city in Nigeria without a secondary health facility. Government further accepts the recommendation to expedite the renovation/refurbishing of Itu General Hospital and to develop a policy that will make it mandatory for all hospital to treat accident victims without asking for payment of initial deposit.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Akwa Ibom State in a press release signed by the State Publicity Secretary of the party Mr Eyo Bassey and made available to newsmen, condemned in strong terms government resolve to, against the recommendation of the Panel of Inquiry, exonerate Apostle Weeks from all professional causes of the building collapse alleging that government’s action is a calculated effort to shield Weeks from Justice.
They maintained that the position of Justice Umoekoyo Essang’s Panel of Inquiry which according to the release, was reached after a diligent and uncompromised steps should have been upheld by government in a bid to allow Justice to run its full course on the fateful incident.
Reacting to the government white paper, a legal practitioner in the state, Barr Ubong Offiong has condemn government decision to throw away the recommendations of the Panel of Inquiry and exonerate Apostle Weeks of all professional indictments.
Barr Offiong who made this statement during Inspiration FM radio programme ‘Talk Radio’ emphasized that Apostle Weeks alongside the professionals he employed to supervise the construction of the collapsed building should be made to face the full weight of the law. He based his argument on the ground that if someone knowingly, hired a quack for the construction of a building that later collapse, he and those quack are culpable.
Reacting to criticism on the white paper from some quarters in the state, the state Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice Barr Uwemedimo Nwoko on Tuesday 10th April, 2018, said that anyone linked to the collapse of Reigners Bible Church on December 10, 2016, will be dully prosecuted.
Nwoko who made this statement while filling questions to newsmen in Uyo, promised to liaise with the police authority in the state to carry out a thorough investigation and release the names of those indicted by the report of the commission, to ensure that justice was done in line with due process.
Nwoko appealed to the people to remain calm and be patient as the state government would do everything possible to ensure that everyone indicted was properly investigated and charged to court.
He said: “All those who have been indicted by the report will be subjected to a thorough investigation by the police and anyone found culpable will be charged to court and made to face the law.
“No one has been exonerated, but we have to carry out proper investigation, you cannot just jail anyone, we must follow due process, but trust that justice will be done at the end of the day.”
It will be recalled that on the 10th December 2016 the unfortunate incident of the collapse Reigners Bible Church happened in Uyo claiming lives of innocent victims injuring also a sizeable number of victims who were in the church to witness the bishopric enthronement of Apostle Akan Weeks.
