Fire Guts National Youth Dev Centre

A multi-billion naira Na
tional Youth Development Centre attracted by senator Ike Ekweremadu, located at Ngwo in Udi Council Area of Enugu State has been razed down by mysterious fire.
The centre is one of the five located in the five local government areas of Enugu West senatorial district which Ekweremadu represents at the National Assembly.
They have already been completed and awaiting commissioning.
Similar centres are located in Awgu, Oji-River, Aninri and Ezeagu local government areas of the state and were built under the auspices of Federal Ministry of Youth Development.
An eye witness accounts had it that the inferno suspected to have been ignited by unknown arsonists who broke into the facility at Isiokpoto Ngwo by boring a hole through the fence, razed down two buildings and partially torched the third one before the arrival of fire service men.
There were more than seven buildings within the sprawling complex, which is a skill acquisition centre for youths of the local government in areas of computer training, wielding, electrical works among others.
Reacting to the incident, the Special Assistant to Deputy Senate President on Constituency Matters, Nick Ozonsi said, “About two hours ago or close to three hours, somebody called; they started calling some of us who actually work with the Deputy Senate President”.
They called me, they called Chinenye Orji and immediately we all rushed to this place and started making calls, calling the fire service and they arrived and put off the fire.
“On careful surveillance we noticed that the fence was broken by vandals and we are suspecting that it was through this point that this fire was actually lit and we suspect also that this is an act of sabotage.”
Also speaking, the Special Adviser Legal to Ekweremadu, Barr Chinenye Orji stated; “the security men told me that they heard some noise up here.
“On approaching to this point they saw fire the other end, which means the main attraction of the people that caused this mayhem was to carry away the water pumping machine here” Orji told newsmen at the scene.
“As you can see they broke up the valves and the supply line, in order to distract the security men, I think they put that fire up the other side.
“Then the security men seeing the fire went for the fire to go and see if they could put it off.
“Within that shot time they (criminals) now made away with the machine through the hole that you have seen.”

Canice Amadi, Enugu