* How the governor, SSG, were saved
* The escape of Akan Okon, Umoh Bassey
* Only God can console us, say clergymen
* No Commissioner is dead- report
Death toll in the collapsed building of Reigners Bible Church International, Uyo has risen to 238 as at 7:30pm Monday in Uyo THE INK can authoritatively report.
It could be recalled that last Saturday, December 10 was a black day in Akwa Ibom State as scores of citizens were trapped in the church collapsed building including government functionaries.
Many Akwa Ibomites especially those with rationale minds view the incidence as having a lot of background undertone. The Governor of the State was lucky to have escaped by the whiskers even as his official chair was damaged beyond recognition.
In the dilemma, the Governor lost one of his aides Mr. Ernest and two of his security details including his chief details Uche who was badly injured. Another of his security aide who was equally injured while trying to rescue the Governor was George.
But both SSS men have since been admitted in the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Ibom specialist Hospital and are responding very well to treatments.
In the early hours of the morning of Sunday 11th December, 2016 a team of professional medical experts arrived from Lagos and were set to perform surgery on Uche in the later hours of the same day.
Mr. George was already being attended to and was stable as at when THE INK reporters visited Ibom Specialist Hospital. Emmanuel Ekpenyong, the Chief whip of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and member representing Ini State Constituency who sat quite close to the Governor had a fractured arm when our reporter visited him at Domingo Hospitals in Ewet Housing; he was on drip and was later transferred to the Ibom Specialist Hospital for further treatment.
Ekpenyong who was surrounded by the wife, some members of his family and aides was lively after Doctors say they had performed a surgery on his arm. It is believed that as soon as possible, Ekpenyong will recover and be discharged in record time.
The Senior Special Assistant and Chief press Secretary to the Governor Mr. Ekerette Udoh was among the casualties of the collapsed building who was admitted at ISH. When THE INK reporters visited him, he was full of life but his left eye was hit by an iron causing a swelling and heavy blood stains on it.
In an interview, he admitted the pains he suffered and expressed optimism that as soon as possible, his case will be handled. Mr. Ekerette Udoh was still attending to files from his office on his sick bed.
The case of the Chief protocol officer to the Governor Mr. Edmund was not as critical as it was first rumored. Edmund who was rumoured to have had his spinal cord broken was not to be as a side of his back was actually hit thereby causing severe pains to him. He is responding to treatment.
But while other cases may not have been too serious, the one involving the commissioner for information and strategy Mr. Charles Udoh was serious and critical. The commissioner was saved by the very special grace of God and with age on his side and the timely intervention of medical experts, life was restored to Mr. Udoh.
The Information and Strategy Boss had a very deep cut on his head giving the Doctors and other health experts a tough time working on him.
Apart from government appointees, civil servants, youths and many others were also wounded and admitted in different hospitals.
How the Governor, SSG were saved The Akwa Ibom State Governor Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel will have to thank God for sparing his life the second time. The first was when he was caught up in the coup ‘de’ tat that took a lot of lives in Turkey.
On that fateful Saturday, Governor Udom Emmanuel had arrived Reigners Bible Church in his convoy and was as well ushered into the Church.
When the Governor walked in and took his seat, he was sighted to have communicated with the SSG Mr. Etekmba Umoren and others seated close to him raising doubts on the strength of the building.
The poorly packaged nature of the building it was observed made the Governor to be uncomfortable always raising his eyes to the iron bars that had no support on the roof.
As the events of the day progressed, it was time for offering and dignitaries as well as other guests were standing, clapping and dancing only for the church to collapse with irons of different shapes, sizes and structures descending down the people and killing many in the process. This happened barely thirty minutes after the Governor arrived the Church.
Mr. Udom Emmanuel who was standing close to the SSG screamed in a louder voice Jesus Christ, a sound that attracted his security aides who rushed in and pushed him to safety. He is said to have been slightly injured while his rescuers amongst which is Uche his Chief Detail and George his SSS sustained various Degrees of injuries. The secretary to State Government Etekmba Umoren had a cut on his head. The cut has since been bandaged and treated. The scar still remains.
Sources who spoke to THE INK said, Udom and Etekmba Umoren’s saving grace was that they shouted Jesus and were standing albeit with some level of consciousness when the incident occurred.
Meanwhile, Governor Emmanuel Who was visibly shaken when he arrived Ibom Specialist Hospital had to order that Julius Berger released their cranes and other high powered automobiles to the scene of the incident for a rescued mission. He also led the team back to the collapse church to ascertain to level of deaths that Akan Week’s Bishopric enthronement had caused.
The escape of Akan Okon, Umoh Bassey
Two of Governor Emmanuel’s aides THE INK can authoritatively report were lucky to have escaped unhurt and without a scratch on their body. Our reporter gathered that Mr. Akan Okon, the Finance Commissioner had on his arrival was being ushered into the church by the protocol but the Itu born Financial Expert had to excuse the protocol and made a call through to his wife. He had not finished making the call outside when he heard the sound of an explosion that preceded the collapsed building.
For Pastor Umoh Bassey, the Permanent Secretary of the Akwa Ibom State Government House, his escape was miraculous. He had no premonition whatever but how he escaped without a scratch on his body was miraculous. THE INK can authoritatively report that both men will have many reasons to thank God.
Building Contractor, Engineer on the run
Following the collapse of Reigners Bible Church, Int’l that claimed over 230 lives in Akwa Ibom State and the directive by Government that the contractor and Engineer that handled that work be arrested and brought to book, the duo multiple sources say have escaped and are at large.
Those who know the duo said, as soon as the building collapsed and recorded huge deaths that the two men who were within the church premises screamed “oh, we are finished” and took to their heels.
THE INK gathered that the directive by the State Governor to begin a man hunt for the Engineer, Architect and contractor who handled the church project must have come a little bit too late as the two may have gotten an inner mind information that their public appearance may be a risk to themselves and family members.
Akan Weeks should be arrested, NSE
The Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, has called on the arrest of Apostle Akan Weeks the General Overseer of the collapsed Reigners Bible Church. The leadership of the Society in an interaction with our reporter said, Akan Weeks undue influence and directive on the Engineers handling the construction of the church he superintends over led to the collapse and killing of innocent Akwa Ibomites in an incidence that saw the Governor escape narrowly.
One of the leaders of NSE says Apostle Weeks was directed and advised by Engr. Bassey Bassey a seasoned and very reliable civil Engineer on the building but that Weeks ignored him and argued that the House will not collapsed that God will guard and protect his church.
The Nigerian Society of Engineers say such disobedience exhibited by Apostle Weeks is what led to the calamity that claimed the hundreds of lives that were wasted from Saturday till yesterday.
SUMMARY OF DEATHS IN REIGNERS COLLAPSED BUILDING
FRSC confirms 82 on 1st Day
Police confirms 49 as at Monday
Annua Hospital recorded 39 Deaths
Life care recorded 22 Deaths
No death was recorded at Domingo Hospital
Ibom Specialist Hospital recorded 4 Deaths
UNIUYO Teaching Hospital recorded 15 Deaths
Fresh corpses evacuated as at Monday was 27
Total = 238
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