Assembly complex collapse: Gombe orders integrity test, visits victims

By Ben Ngwakwe, Gombe

GOMBE — The Gombe State Government has ordered a comprehensive integrity test and technical investigation into the partial collapse of the ongoing Gombe State House of Assembly Complex, assuring residents that the incident will be thoroughly investigated to determine its immediate and remote causes.

Deputy Governor, Dr. Manassah Daniel Jatau, gave the assurance on Monday during an inspection of the project site alongside the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, and other senior government officials.

The delegation was received by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport, Danladi Adamu, who briefed officials on the incident.

Adamu said the contract for the Assembly Complex was awarded to BMC Multi Concept in 2024, adding that the collapse affected only the canopy of the structure and did not compromise the integrity of the main building.

According to him, eight workers were involved in the incident. One person died, while seven others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

He said five of the injured had been treated and discharged, while the remaining two were receiving treatment at the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Gombe, and were responding positively.

Speaking during the inspection, Jatau commended the contractor for its openness in explaining the circumstances surrounding the incident, describing transparency as a hallmark of the Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya administration.

He said the government had opened the investigation to engineering experts and relevant professional bodies to establish the exact cause of the collapse and recommend appropriate corrective measures.

“We have opened the process to experts and engineering firms to identify precisely what caused the collapse and how it can be rectified. Unlike in some places where such incidents are concealed, Gombe has chosen the path of transparency by subjecting the structure to a comprehensive integrity test,” the deputy governor said.

Jatau noted that since the current administration assumed office in 2019, the state had executed numerous capital projects without recording a similar incident, adding that lessons from the development would strengthen quality assurance on future projects.

He expressed confidence that the damaged section would be rebuilt to a higher standard after the investigation and urged the contractor to fully implement the recommendations of technical experts.

The deputy governor condoled the family of the deceased worker and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

Also speaking, the site engineer, Architect Ime Umo, and the contractor, George Bumarun of BMC Multi Concept, expressed regret over the incident, attributing the collapse to a failure that occurred during the concreting process.

They extended condolences to the family of the deceased, the state government and the people of Gombe State, while pledging to rectify the defect in line with professional engineering standards.

The inspection formed part of the government’s efforts to obtain firsthand information on the incident and reaffirm its commitment to transparency, accountability, quality assurance and workers’ safety on public infrastructure projects.

The delegation later visited the injured workers at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, where the Chief Medical Director, Dr. Yusuf Mohammad Abdullahi, and Dr. Emmanuel Bukar Yakubu Lakobbe said the patients were in stable condition and responding well to treatment.

The officials also paid a condolence visit to the family of the deceased, Abubakar Sadiq Gidado, at their residence in Bolari Quarters, Gombe.

Speaking during the visit, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, conveyed the condolences of the state government to the bereaved family.

He described the late Gidado as a hardworking young man who died while earning a legitimate livelihood and prayed for the repose of his soul and the strength for his family to bear the loss.

Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya had earlier directed that a thorough investigation be conducted into the cause of the collapse.

Other members of the delegation included the Head of Civil Service, Prof. Mu’azu Shehu, permanent secretaries, special advisers, the Director-General of the Liaison Office, Abuja, the Chairman of the Nigeria Institute of Building, Gombe State Chapter, and other government officials.

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