Rivers seals Wike loyalist’s hotel

The Rivers State government has sealed off a five-storey building belonging to the immediate-past Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Dr Samuel Nwanosike, over an alleged violation of the approved building plan.

The building site at the GRA axis of Port Harcourt was said to be a hotel, even as it had reached an advanced completion stage.

It was gathered that Nwanosike, an ally of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had applied and submitted a building plan for a four-storey building.

The structure was extended to a five-storey building without plan review.

The site was sealed on Wednesday by officials of the Rivers State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.

The Commissioner for Urban and Physical Development, Isaac Umejuru, said the owner of the building applied to build a four-storey, but constructed five-storey instead, describing it as a violation.

Umejuru said the ministry had sealed off the place to conduct integrity tests and then take further action.

Meanwhile, a viral video seen by our correspondent showed the moment Dr Nwanosike was engaged in a heated argument with the ministry officials at the site of the property, as the latter said he would bequeath the property to Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

In the altercation, Nwanosike said, “Nobody can intimidate me,” while an official retorted that he was not being intimidated but that he violated the approval given to him.

Nwanosike said, “This property I will give to you and Fubara; N555bn contravention, that is what you said I should pay? We will wait; we will not be afraid. But this will not change Dr Samuel Nwanosike. I have written to you formally, but you have not responded. Let everybody hear it.”

One of the officials from the ministry said, “Nobody is intimidating you. You said you wrote to us, and we have responded. You contravened the approval you were given. Are you threatening me because I’m doing my official work? It is known, and let it be known that this building was sealed…”

Wike and Fubara have been at loggerheads since last year and the face-off has also driven apart their loyalists.