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By Madu Obi
The Old Boys Association of Dennis Memorial Grammar School (DMGS), and the legal team of the Diocese on the Niger, have rejected two members of the panel set up by the Anambra State government to investigate the recent collapse of the centenary building under construction at the 98 -year old secondary school.
In a letter to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, they accused Prof. Akaolisa Ezeagu, the panel chairman, and Engr. Victor Meju, the COREN chairman and a key member, of making biased comments and publications following the incident, even before the panel was set up.
The Director of Communications for the Diocese on the Niger, Mr. Oseloka Offor said a team of legal practitioners led by Mr. Nnamdi Ibegbu, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, expressed worry that the public and the Diocese might not get a fair hearing with the two persons who had demonstrated manifest bias and unprofessionalism on the matter if they are members of the panel.
According to Offor, the legal team cited a newspaper publication of 16th June 2024, under the column, Voice of the Nation- with heading "No Approval Given For The Collapsed Onitsha School Building -NBRRI" where Prof Akaolisa Ezeagu made comments and came to the conclusion publicly that there was no authorization from any quarters before the gigantic structure was erected.
Offor's statement read in part: "The Professor had also in the same news publication even before the commencement of investigations, attributed the collapse to the foundation, which he claimed, was as a result of disconnect between the building team and the technical engineer.
Prof Ezeagu also in the same publication erroneously stated that preliminary investigation points to foundation problem."
The legal team for the DMGS and Niger Diocese further cited another newspaper publication of 14th June 2024 with headline "Three More Victims Rescued from Anambra Collapsed Building As Probe Begins" attributed to Engr. Sir Victor Meju, a Mechanical Engineer, and chairman COREN,
Anambra State chapter. In the newspaper, Meju stated that the collapse could be traced to a faulty foundation and substandard materials used for construction.
He went further to state that the approval was given for a two- storey building, but that our clients decided to add more floors to it.
The legal team told the governor that the two persons, Prof Akaolisa Ezeagu and Engr. Sir Victor Menu - have acted unprofessionally and that it is doubtful that they will give unbiased decision in the panel.
"The legal team has pleaded with the governor most respectfully to withdraw the two persons from the panel or, in the alternative, the two persons be allowed to honorably recuse themselves from the panel, so that natural justice, equity, good conscience and fairness, shall prevail in the deliberation and report of the panel.
They, however, commended the governor for setting up the panel of enquiry to investigate the immediate and remote causes of building collapses in parts of the state.
The legal team believes that this laudable initiative by the governor will help to ensure utmost professionalism in the construction sector.
It is not clear if the governor's office would agree to the lawyers' demand as it is yet to react on the matter.
Recall that the panel was set up by the state government to investigate the incident and recommend measures to prevent similar occurrences in future.
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