From Ifeoma Ejiofor
A two-storey residential building has collapsed at Inyaba-Umudim, Nnewi, in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State, with no casualty recorded.
Sources said the occupants of the building were not around when the incident occurred, adding that the structure had reportedly shown signs of distress over time.
Another source blamed successive administrations for approving building plans without adequate assessment of the compatibility of proposed structures with their environment.
The source also alleged that some government officials responsible for supervising construction projects often compromise their duties for financial gains.
However, the Anambra State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Barr. Chijioke Ojukwu, confirmed the incident.
Ojukwu, who visited the scene to assess the situation, said preliminary findings indicated that the collapsed building was poorly constructed and erected without the required approval from the ministry.
He added that the structure was built against the perimeter fence of an existing three-storey building within the same compound.
According to him, occupants of the three-storey building would be evacuated while the structure undergoes a mandatory integrity test.
He said the building would be demolished if the integrity assessment showed that it was unsafe for habitation.
