He Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) on Friday sealed off the hall of the Bon Platinum hotel in Enugu state where the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) issued certificates of return to the state’s governor-elect Peter Mbah and elected members of the State Assembly .
ECTDA, a state government urban development and infrastructure management agency, said the decision was in response to a reported structural defect in the two-story hall that caused a stir during the issuance of return certificates to winners. of the 2023 election in the state on Thursday.
The outburst, which occurred during the issuance of the return certificates, created fear among the recipients of the certificates, INEC officials, the state police commissioner, and several others who ran for security during the incident.
However, the process was completed, amid fears of a possible collapse.
Some ECTDA officials, who visited the room on Friday for inspection, said they found the building did not have an approval plan.
Another structure under construction at the hotel also did not meet with agency approval, officials said.
Josef Onoh, president of ECTDA, told reporters in Enugu on Friday that hotel management was “impatient” that they did not allow the agency to complete its investigation of the facility, but appealed to be allowed to perform another function. in the “heartbreak room” this Saturday without addressing the failure in the room.
“The room does not have an approval, but the hotel does and there was a structural defect in the room yesterday (Thursday) when the INEC was issuing return certificates that made everyone disperse because they thought the building was going to collapse,” he said. Onoh. saying.
“So, we went there today for an inspection and now we’re sealing the place off, including another building that’s being developed at the back.
“The owner of the hotel is not willing to bear patience for the Nigerian Society of Engineers to come and do their own inspection, but he asks us to allow him to have a wedding there tomorrow (Saturday) and I wonder how much he collected for the case that the place cannot be relocated. So, we have sealed the room,” he added.