Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Conference Centre (EIICC), Owerri, showing defaced roof after rainfall
Contrary to viral video and narrative that the roof top of the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Conference Centre (EIICC), Owerri, had pulled away few days after launch, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Electronic and Creative Media, Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, has come up with the official explanation of what actually transpired following a torrential rainfall with thunderstorm in Owerri.
Giving further insights on what happened, he averred that “What happened was a minor on-site accident during the ongoing solar panel installation.
Whereas many observers in Owerri are of the view that the dislocated part of the roof that is visibly facing up is not looking smooth as a solar panel should, but looks rough like a pulled roofing sheet, the Governor’s aide insisted that “the roof of the EIICC remains solid, intact, and structurally sound”.
This was further explained by Nwaogwugwu when he agreed that “During one of these installations, a heavy and sudden downpour, accompanied by violent winds, struck while the technicians were working at height. The force of the storm dislodged a few aluminium sheets and the mounting frames that held the solar racks. A section under installation suffered light damage, but no part of the roof caved in or collapsed as falsely claimed.
“The ongoing modernization work at the site involves the installation of over 300 solar panels by certified engineers. The initiative, championed by the administration of the #PeoplesGovernor Hope Uzodimma, is designed to make the facility energy-efficient and self-sustaining; an innovation rarely seen in public infrastructure projects across the country.
Mishaps like this occur in work environments everywhere. They do not in any way amount to a structural failure or indicate negligence. The engineers on-site are promptly restored order, and all workers were confirmed safe.
The EIICC stands firm: solarized, fortified, and renewed. No amount of propaganda will bury the truth or dim the light of progress that has come to stay in Imo State. This is a facility built to last, conceived with foresight, and now being upgraded with sustainable energy technology to serve generations to come.
The Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Conference Centre remains one of the proudest monuments of our time — typical Hope Uzodimma’s signature — a testament to a government that builds, not one that deceives.
