Uyo Church: Roof supplier blames Apostle Weeks for collapse

Mr. Idorenyin Daniel Udo of Whitesteel Integrated Services who was contracted by the founder of Reigners Bible Church, Apostle Akan Weeks to fabricate and install the roof of the failed church building told Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday that Apostle Weeks did not make complete  payment of N26 million for the roofing project to him as he claimed.

During his cross-examination, Mr. Udo said instead of N26 million, Weeks paid him N20, 250,000.

He added that the work was incomplete at the time of the collapse.

Mr. Udo said to the panel that Weeks had put pressure on him from 2nd December 2016 to remove the scaffold that supported the weight of the roof, but he refused.

He disclosed that Weeks threatened to arrest him and his workers should he fail to comply.


According to Udo, after all efforts to get him remove the scaffold proved abortive, one Engr. Essiet, who is one of the members of church building committee, called scaffolders elsewhere on Thursday 8th December 2016 to come for the removal of the scaffold.

In reacting to the claim that he ordered the scaffold to be removed, Udo said he could not in any way give such approval.

“I did not give anybody approval to remove any of the materials used during the installation of the roof.

“Scaffold can only be removed when the roof is completely set.

“I advised Apostle Weeks to allow the scaffold to remain since roofing was not completed,” he testified.
Mr. Udo also told the panel that he only removed two of the seven derricks used during roof installation, and not the scaffold.

“Derrick is equipment that is used to move materials from one place to another.”

Udo later revealed that on Friday 9th December, he had noticed a crack at the right side of the octagonal church building by the second beam which he drew the attention of the site supervisor, Anietie Ndarake, who Weeks introduced to him as the church architect.

His words: “I called the attention of the site supervisor, Anietie Ndarake, and he said that after the programme on Saturday, the concrete would be reinforced.”

Udo therefore suggested that the crack might have contributed to the collapse of the building on Saturday 10th December, 2016.