3 persons arraigned in Anambra for threatening, assaulting govt officials on duty

Anambra State Government today arraigned three persons arrested at various parts of Nnewi in court for allegedly assaulting officials of the State Physical Planning Board (ANSPPB), its agency charged with structural development control in the state.

The persons were arrested yesterday during a show of force and enforcement operation that took officials of the Board to various parts of the state.

In Onitsha, the enforcement team demolished a fence that encroached on a large portion of land designated for the construction of judges quarters and also sealed off some plaza whose structural integrity has been completely compromised and whose occupants, the government had issued notices to vacate the plaza to avoid loss of life.

Also at Magazine Layout in Onitsha, the team demolished a car wash and sealed off some shops attached to it because they were practically constructed on the road.

At Nnewi, the team visited various locations where developers had refused to obtain a development permits from the authorized agency but instead, had beaten up development control staff consistently and destroyed vehicles of the agency.

A mild drama had ensued when a developer arrested in one of the locations brandished a government identity card and threatened to kill officials of the enforcement team when released.

Speaking during the exercise, the ANSPPB Chairman, Bar Chike Maduekwe who noted that the days of impunity in the building industry is over, warned developers not to test the resolve of the state government to ensure that Anambra State develops in an orderly manner.

“Development control is a government directive and officials of the Board are civil servants enforcing government directive. When they visit your sites and you have not complied with directives, do not attack them. Negotiate with the officials and do the needful immediately. What the government aims to achieve is a controlled development of the state to ensure that our cities do not turn to a slum. Anybody that obstructs such action will be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law and the structure pulled down,” Maduekwe warned.

He said the arrested persons will also be made to sign an undertaking that nothing will happen to any of the development control officials before their bail application will be considered.

“The agency will maintain continuous checks to ensure that all sealed areas are not occupied again. The rains are coming heavily as warned by the relevant authorities and we need to keep our people safe. I beckon on the public to always report dilapidated buildings, weak structures, unsafe and risky abodes so that government can do the needful at the right time,” the ANSPPB Boss appealed.

On the Onitsha operation, the Acting General Manager of the Board,  Nwabufo Anene explained that the Plaza sealed off at Ozomagala within Modebe estate, is dilapidated and the rods at the decking are exposed, making it a potential threat to human life.

According to him, “that building is one of the many compromised structures in that area. One collapsed partially last year. We went to the site with the staff of the State Materials Testing Laboratory. They will conduct a technical test on the strength of the material and if found to be completely compromised, the government will follow up with demolition of the structure.”

He revealed that the traders occupying the building have been duly served but they remained adamant and stayed there rather than going to the permanent site.

“Government cannot condone people’s ignorance. This is a proactive step to save lives and the present administration under Governor Willie Obiano is committed to ensuring that the right thing is done in the building industry to forestall any kind of danger,” he said.

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