Residents Raise Alarm Over Dilapidated Buildings In Diobu

Some residents of Port Harcourt, have raised alarm over the state of some old high-rise buildings in the Diobu axis of Port Harcourt which are almost at the state of collapse and are being used as residential houses.

This is coming on the hills of reports from some parts of the country, especially Lagos where some old high-rise buildings have collapsed in the main land and in Mushin, where some people were reportedly trapped.

Residents of Port Harcourt have opined that such ugly trend should not be allowed to play in Port Harcourt, and have urged the appropriate governmental agency in charge of housing and environment to take decisive steps to stop people who are risking their lives in such buildings from living there.

Reacting on the issue in an interaction with The Tide, one of the residents, Pastor Ndu Ogbondah explained that some people for problems of accommodation, have resorted to risking their lives with that of their families by living in such houses.

He specifically highlighted few buildings like the storey building within the Lumumba/Okwuzi street in Diobu and another one storey building which according to him is not safe for living, as some of the deckings and concrete have started falling-off.

He also described such building as “Death traps” which occupants for fear of securing alternative accommodation are still managing, but quickly added that it will take the force of the right government authority to put both the owner and residents to check.

Meanwhile, Mr. Henry Obuzo, a former resident of one of such buildings in a chat with The Tide had said that the landlord to his former residence lives in London, and does not know the true state of the building, which he had believed that the caretaker did not let him know.

He said that he had to pack out because no attention was given to the maintenance of the building, while the caretaker was enriching himself from the tenants.

Obuzo, also said that many tenants were handicapped in terms of finance, pointing out that the risk of death can not be compared to anything, and urged government to tackle landlords over such dilapidated building.

Corlins Walter