Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, has issued a directive to Olusade Adesola, the Permanent Secretary, to expedite the payment of hospital bills for those affected by the tragic building collapse in the FCT. The incident on Lagos Crescent, Garki 2, Abuja, involved the collapse of a two-story building following heavy rainfall around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) confirmed the event through a press release on Thursday morning, revealing that 37 individuals had been rescued, although two had sustained fatal injuries.
Wike, accompanied by Dr Bariya Mahmoud, the FCT Minister of State, and Olusade Adesola, the Permanent Secretary of FCTA, personally visited the collapse site before embarking on an official project tour. He thanked the agencies, particularly NEMA and FEMA, for their efforts in rescuing 32 lives and mourned the loss of two. He immediately called for the allocation of funds to cover the hospital expenses of the surviving victims, underlining the urgency of this action to prevent further loss of life.
"I will discuss with the Permanent Secretary to make sure that funds are raised to pay the hospital bills of those who are rescued. We don’t want to hear that any other person has passed on, which should be done immediately," Wike affirmed.
Beyond the immediate crisis, Wike emphasised that taking action against substandard constructions wasn't driven by personal motives but aimed at averting potential disasters and safeguarding lives. He stated, "These are what we have been saying – nobody knows whose turn it will be. Therefore, it is important that when the government says it will take action on certain areas that we believe are illegal development, or even buildings that do not comply with standard codes, it is not as if anybody has any personal vendetta."
He further instructed that the site's search and rescue efforts should continue until authorities could ensure no survivors remained trapped beneath the rubble.
Upon learning that the building's residents were intended to be relocated to Apo and that proper approval for construction was not obtained, Wike called for the immediate identification and apprehension of the building's owner. He also criticised FCTA for not expediting the resettlement of the building's inhabitants.
The rescued individuals were transported to various hospitals throughout the city, including National Hospital Asokoro, Nyanya and Garki District Hospitals, Alliance Hospital, and Zenith Hospital.
