By Ken Afor
The rationale behind the demolition of the State House of Assembly complex has been clarified by the Rivers State Government.
On Wednesday, bulldozers were moved into the complex along Moscow Road in Port Harcourt and started the demolition of the facility.
But, a statement issued by Joseph Johnson, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, in Port Harcourt on Wednesday morning, attributed the unfitness of the facility for legislation to the explosion that occurred, resulting in the destruction of valuable property worth millions of naira.
Given the demolition, the state government has already offered an alternative location for the legislators to conduct their business while the complex is being rebuilt, he added.
The statement read, “The Rivers State Government says the 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.
“After the visit of the governor to inspect the level of damage done to the building on the day of the fire incident, it became necessary to invite professionals to advise the government on the integrity of the building.
“It would be recalled that on the night of the attack on the complex, explosive dynamites were used to attack the complex which shook it to foundation.
“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.”
It would be recalled that in October, a powerful explosion shook the Rivers State House of Assembly complex amid reported attempts by certain lawmakers to impeach the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
However, the commissioner also mentioned that the government had exhausted all possible cost-saving measures in order to repair the complex, but ultimately succumbed to the prevailing opinion of reconstructing it into a more suitable structure.
“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, ” the statement added.
