The Anambra State Capital Territory Development Agency, ACTDA, has demolished a distressed building in Awka. This building was waiting to become another headline of tragedy.
According to ACTDA, the building was already “begging for collapse” — with big cracks on the walls, sagging slabs, and weak columns that could have buried people alive. But the agency didn’t wait for disaster. Engineers rushed in, evacuated every tenant, and brought the structure down before it could claim lives.
ACTDA MD, Dr. Ossy Onuko, said this is Governor Soludo’s message loud and clear: no more illegal, death-trap buildings in Awka. “If your building is not approved and supervised by professionals, we will bring it down. We cannot watch people die because of greed,” he warned.
The MD also called on residents and landlords to stop cutting corners. “Awka is becoming a modern capital city. If we must get there, we must build right and build safe,” Dr. Onuko added.
Residents in the area couldn’t hide their relief. Many praised ACTDA for moving fast before the building caved in. “They saved us. It would have been another national disaster,” one landlord said.
With Awka expanding every day, ACTDA says it will not slow down. More monitoring, more demolitions, more sensitization — all to keep the capital safe.
Bottom line: Building collapse is preventable. But only if government acts early and citizens cooperate.
Sylvia Take
This is how governance should work. Not waiting for bodies before acting. ACTDA deserves credit for this swift move, and Dr. Ossy Onuko is showing what leadership looks like on the ground. But let’s be honest — many landlords still build like there’s no tomorrow. If you can afford cement and blocks, you can afford an engineer. Governor Soludo’s Awka 2.0 vision cannot succeed if we keep housing people in “death traps.” Today ACTDA saved lives. Tomorrow, residents must save themselves by doing the right thing.
A new Anambra is possible, but it starts with safe buildings.