Fire Guts Ogu/Bolo Legislative Assembly Building

The Ogu/Bolo Local Government Legislative Council has been gutted by fire and all documents burnt to aches.

The Tide correspondent gathered that the fire started at about 11.25pm on Wednesday and spread mysteriously, destroying documents and property of the Legislative Assembly of the council.

Commenting on the incident while inspecting the extent of damage yesterday, the council Chairman, Dame Maureen Tamuno said the incident was the handiwork of detractors.

Maureen said it was unfortunate that such incident would happen when plans were on to commission the new secretariat building of the council, tomorrow.

She noted that the incident would not distract her from carrying out developmental projects in the area, adding that the commissioning of the secretariat complex expected to be performed by the Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the thanksgiving service and the honour to be conferred on her by the Ogu/Bolo Council of Chiefs scheduled to take place tomorrow will go on as planned.

The council boss advised the people of the area not to be discouraged as security personnel are on top of the situation.

According to her, the cause of the fire could not be ascertained as there was no electricity supply during the inferno while it also rained hence the suspicion that it was the handiwork of arsonists.

In her reaction, Secretary of the council, Chief Stephen Omubo Pereti condemned the act, saying, “it is not a healthy development and I fill disappointed. Such act of lawlessness should be discouraged for the development of the local government.

“Maureen will go and another chairman will take over the council but let the infrastructure be there”, Chief Pereti said, and appealed to the “youth to guide against such atrocities because the council is for everybody in the local government area”.

Also reacting, the Leader of the Legislative Council, Ogu/Bolo LGA, Hon. Idakiri Mary Koningo described the incident as a surprise and sad story, adding that it will affect legislative activities of the council as all documents, tables; chairs and the building itself were burnt to aches.

Meanwhile, the security man on duty has been arrested and is being interrogated by the police in the area.