Telecom mast destroys N35m church property in Cross River
A telecommunications make belonging to a Micro finance Bank, the Ekondo Bank has destroyed a property worth thirty five million naira in Calabar Municipality, Cross River state.
The property belongs to be Methodist church of Nigeria Ikot Omin, Eno Abasi Circuit Diocese in the Municipality and the destruction rendered the minister in charge of the circuit Rev. Evans Uwaoma Obiokor alongside his family homeless.
Speaking on the issue, Bishop of Diocese of Atamunu (Methodist Cathedral of Favour) Calabar, Dr. Otuekong Ukut, disclosed that preliminary survey showed that property loss is valued at N35million.
Giving more clarifications, the Bishop said “We have already sent an architect to go through each of the items. And the preliminary survey has shown N35million for the loss.
“Items destroyed include three buildings, office building, home to minister’s in charge, where he lives with wife and children, the service quarter and the back house, hit by the fallen mast.
“Those three buildings involved the roofs, the woods, electrical, the appliances, the electronics, office, and books in the office, computers, and photocopiers. It’s a massive damage.
“We have asked our legal officer to inform the bank . We are having our meeting on Monday. At a moment, we have to relocate the minister because the electrical wires in his home are sparking.
“The water you saw on the floor of his home because of yesterday’s rain can spark up once light is brought by Power Holding Company PHCN.
“Apart from physical damage, the threat to life of the minister, that’s why I have to quickly inform our prelate at the headquarters, the board of trustees. I believe they would have an emergency meeting. All Methodist church property belongs to board of trustees,” Otuekong maintained.
He said that even though management of the bank had not bothered to communicate with the church to express concern over the damage or to take responsibility, he the Bishop visited that premises of the bank only to find out that the collapsed mast was never maintained.
“I found out that the base of the mast was all rotten. There was no environmental impact assessment. The basement and maintenance of the mast had rotted.
“The poles were rotten, with several perforations laced with rust that could not stand the test of time. It’s something that should have been removed if the organization were to be alert.
“They should have been the ones to replace the mast with solid steel structures, that was what was about to kill the minister of Methodist Church, his wife and children”, he said.
Officials of the Ekondo Microfinance Bank have yet to formally respond to the accident.
