The Rivers State Government has said its 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.
LEADERSHIP reports that bulldozers surfaced at the Assembly Complex on Wednesday morning and demolished some sections of the facility to the surprise of some residents of Port Harcourt.
It will be recalled that arsonists had attacked the Assembly building on the night of Sunday, October 29, 2023, in the wake of impeachment plot against the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, by members of the House loyal to the immediate-past governor of the State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
However, a statement issued by the State Commissioner for Information, Mr Joseph Johnson, on Wednesday morning, said after the visit of Governor Fubara to inspect the level of damage done to the building on the day of the fire incident, it became necessary to invite professionals to advice the government on the integrity of the facility.
He noted that explosive dynamites were used to attack the complex, which shook it to its foundation, adding that there were visible cracks on the walls afterwards, and the entire structure looked frail and unsafe for legislative business.
“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”, the Commissioner said, noting that the government had tried all cost saving measures towards repair of the complex until it bowed to 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,” he stated.
