Calabar Viewing Centre Tragedy : GCCCDA, FG To Demolish Houses Under High Tension Wire

GCCCDA DG, Kingsley Ikpeme (L) with the State Coordinator of Red Cross Society of Nigeria

The Greater Calabar Capital City Development Authority (GCCCDA) and the federal government has reached an agreement to demolish houses built under high tension wire in Cross River State.

The agency disclosed this in a statement issued in Calabar by its Director General, Comrade Kingsley Ikpeme.

Ikpeme stated in the statement that this move was to forestall death "resulting from  electrocution".

It will be recalled that many football fans were reportedly electrocuted few weeks ago when a high tension wire exploded and dropped on a viewing centre in Calabar.

But the agency, charged with the preparation and regulation of building
 standards amongst other responsibilities have vowed to do everything to prevent reoccurrence of the ugly incident.

Affected Viewing Centre

While warning against erecting building under high tension wires, the DG called on people with such buildings to consider relocating to new development areas the government is expanding or risk facing forceful eviction.

"The agency is determined to correct the current unbridle development and urban sprawling in calabar and also seeks to expand infrastructure into new development areas for the benefits of the larger populace, to decongest the state capital.

We call on citizens to desist from erecting structures under the high tension, to forestall death resulting from  electrocution. Citizens should avoid down poles and power lines and ensure that their buildings are properly earthed as safety measures", the statement reads in part.

Ikpeme further commiserate with the families of victims of the Wednesday, 12 April 2017 electrocution tragedy at the football viewing centre at Nyangasang in calabar.

While commending the federal government for it moves aim at demolishing structures built under high tension across the country, with Cross River as a pilot state, he added that the agency was out to complement the efforts made by the federal government and other agencies.

According to the statement, "The greater calabar capital city development authority is out to compliment the efforts of the federal government, the Nigerian red cross society, power holding company of Nigeria ( PHCN), communities, group's, security agency's and traditional ruler's to prevent future occurrence of this tragedy .

" The government of Sen Prof Ben Ayade is determined to protect lives and properties of citizens .

"We urge citizens who are fond of erecting structures under the high tension and telecommunication mass to remove such illegal structures immediately as failure to adhere to this directives , such structures will be demolished at the course of the perpetuators and the will be prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others, due to it health and security implications.

"In the same vain as the raining season approaches,  we urge citizens to avoid erecting structures by water ways, avoid dumping refuse into the drains to avoid floodings,loss of lives and properties".