Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, recently visited the Obingwa Local Government Area (LGA) Headquarters to conduct an on-site assessment of the fire that destroyed the Court Registry, Works Department, and National Youth Council buildings within the premises.
At the scene, Governor Otti who expressed his regret over the loss of equipment and office materials, thanked God that no life was lost during in the incident.
“We thank God that no life was lost, even though properties, particularly those belonging to the court, were destroyed. I am glad that we didn’t lose anyone,” Governor Otti said.
The Governor instructed the Mayor of Obingwa LGA, Hon. Maxwell Nwadike, to take immediate steps to secure the council premises. He emphasized the need for a perimeter fence around the headquarters, with a single entrance and exit to prevent unauthorized access. Additionally, Governor Otti ordered the deployment of armed security personnel to ensure the area’s protection.
“I have given clear instructions to the Mayor on how to secure this place. It must be fenced, and trespassing will not be tolerated. We will deploy armed security, and there will be only one entrance and one exit.” He stated.
While investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing, the Governor assured that once completed, the findings would clarify the incident’s origin.
Governor Otti also took the opportunity to reiterate his administration’s commitment to constructing new court buildings across all 17 local government areas. He urged the Mayor to push the contractor working on the Obingwa Local Government Court Hall project to speed up the work.
“The contractor seems to be behind schedule. Some of the projects are still at the lintel level, while others are nearing roofing, despite starting at the same time. He needs to be pressured to speed up the process,” Governor Otti directed.
The Governor expressed gratitude to his Special Assistant on Homeland Security, Fire, and Emergency, Mr. Chinenye Anajemba, for his swift response to the emergency. He also instructed Mr. Anajemba to make arrangements for each local government area in the state to be equipped with a fire truck to improve response time in future emergencies.
“I believe the fire truck came from Aba, and it took some time to reach here. Thank God it wasn’t worse than it could have been,” Governor Otti added.
He also thanked the people of Abia for their continued support of his administration, assuring them that the government is committed to delivering the much-needed democratic benefits.
During the Governor’s tour of the damaged buildings, Hon. Maxwell Nwadike, the Mayor of Obingwa LGA, explained that the fire occurred early on Thursday morning, around 5 a.m., and was initially reported by youth corps members.
“It was the youth corps members who alerted me, and we quickly responded by contacting the Homeland Security team. I commend the SSA for Homeland Security for acting promptly; without their quick response, the damage could have been far worse,” Hon. Nwadike shared.
Hon. Nwadike confirmed that the fire had affected several important buildings, including the Court Registry, Works Department, and National Youth Council offices. While the extent of the damage is still being evaluated, the Mayor assured that a committee would be formed to assess the losses within the next week.
He expressed gratitude to Governor Otti for personally visiting the site and thanked the Homeland Security team for their prompt action.
