Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has revealed why the State House of Assembly complex was demolished on Wednesday morning.
Over ten bulldozers and other heavy-duty equipment were rolled out for the demolition of the House of Assembly complex as early as 5 a.m. on Wednesday.
Sources in the state claimed that the state government was undertaking the demolition of the Assembly Complex. The demolition is being done under tight security.
It would be recalled that in the wake of the clash between Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor in office, who is now the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, the Assembly Complex was burnt by suspected political thugs.
Speaking on the demolition, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joseph Johnson, stated that 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.
He said 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.
“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,” he said, noting that the government had tried all cost-saving measures towards the repair of the complex until it bowed to the superior view of rebuilding the complex to a more befitting edifice.
“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,” Johnson said.