31st May, 2012
Four construction workers died instantly while two others were trapped when a church building under construction collapsed at Sagbe in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, southwest Nigeria, in the early hours of Thursday.
The state Governor, Abiola Ajimobi led other top officials on a rescue mission to the scene of the disaster.
This was disclosed in a press statement signed by Dr. Festus Adedayo, Senior Special Adviser to Governor Ajimobi.
According to the statement, two of the trapped workers were later rescued had been rushed to an undisclosed hospital in the city.
Ajimobi, who arrived the scene in company of his wife, Florence, the state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Alhaji Yunus Akintunde and other top government officials, described the incident as terrible and disheartening.
He blamed the incident on the failure of the contractor handling the church building to use quality materials because the contractor wanted to cut cost.
“If the contractor had not compromised quality, this incident would not have happened,” the governor said, regretting that it happened despite repeated warning that people should ensure quality in everything they were doing, including building construction.
He ordered that thorough investigation be carried out on the circumstances surrounding the collapse of the building.
By Gbenro Adesina