The member representing Aba South Local Government Area, Hon. Obinna Ichita has stated that it was unacceptable that a city like Aba does not have the requisite facilities for the effective rescue operation.
He said this while visiting the venue of the collapsed building in Azikiwe, Aba, Abia State on Wednesday morning.
Ichita stated that the unavailability of effective equipment for rescue means that we do not hold sacred the sanctity of life.
He berated the people of always choosing profit over life by building structures without the approval of town planning authority and calls for the urgent need for fire service.
Read his post below;
“Today, in the company of the minority leader of the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Abraham Obah, I visited the site of the collapsed building in Azikiwe rod, Aba. While I do not wish to delve into the structural integrity of the building ( or the lack thereof), I wish to be recorded as holden that it is extremely unacceptable that a city like Aba does not have the requisite facilities/ equipment for the effective rescue operation.
This is another sad reminder that we do not seem to attach a premium to the sanctity of life. Recently, there have been accusations and allegations of poor construction work in crowded areas like markets. Sadly, most of these structures do not have approved building plans.
Must we always sacrifice quality for profit ?!?!
While I must commend the first responders: The Area Commander of the Aba Area Command of the Nigerian Police and his officers and men, The Management staff of Aba South LGA, the Red Cross Society, The staffers of the Health Department of Aba South LGA, the DSS, the Army and of course, the industrious people of Aba, I make haste to say that the tenacity you exhibited today was legendary.
For me, the greatest shock was the absence of the men of state fire service, who should co-ordinate and direct the rescue operation. Sadly, they were visibly absent. Whatever might be their reason for not coming, does not justify this dereliction of duty.
In conclusion, I call on all Federal lawmakers from Abia State (across party lines) to make a strong case for the establishment of a Federal Fire Service Station in Aba, especially since Abia has been recognized as the SME capital of the Federal Republic.
Never again shall we look so helpless while our compatriots are trapped under the rubbles of a collapsed structure.
Never again shall we sit and watch all we called our own destroyed by fire.
On behalf of the people of Aba South Constituency, I commiserate with the family members of the victims. May the good Lord comfort them and may the souls of the departed Rest In Peace. Amen.
#Abaneedsfederalfireservice”
