DELTA STATE GOVERNMENT KILLED MY SON – Bereaved Father
By Patrick Gbuchanye
The flood that accompanied a heavy downpour on Friday, November 3, 2023, claimed the life of late Master Favour Chukwuemeke, a primary 4 pupil of Orient Academy Group of School situated along the Old Lagos/Asaba Road, Agbor.
Lamenting the son’s death, Mr. Ferdinand Ehikwe said sad incident can be described as sun setting at noon for his family. He accused the Delta State Government of being responsible for his late son’s death.
According to him, “There was a heavy downpour on that fateful day just before the close of school, and because the road was over-flooded, my 8-year-old son who was on his way home suddenly fell into an uncovered drainage at Deeper Life Street, off the Old Lagos/Asaba Road, Agbor, and he was drowned.
“I was told that his elder brother who went to save him also fell into the drainage but for the timely assistance of the principal of Christi Angel Group of School who rescued him.
“Efforts were made, walking through the drainage from Deeper Life Street to the Orogodo River in search of the body which was then nowhere to be found.
“Not until the following day when someone I paid to continue searching called to inform me that the body of my late son had been found.
“With the police report, I have buried his body,” he lamented.
Continuing, he said, “I have accused the Delta State Government of killing my son because of the drainages they left open after road construction. This is a death trap that has continued to claim lives whenever there is heavy downpour.
“Persons who have fallen inside the open drainage are ignorant that there is an opening at the spot when it is over-flooded.
“The Ika North East Local Government Area Council under the Chairmanship of Hon. Barr. Victor Ebonka is not left out of the blame as having contributed to the death of my son because the LGA has paid deaf ears to public outcry over the deadly open drainages.
SEE ALSO: I OVERCAME DEATH AS FLOOD SWEPT ME INTO OROGODO RIVER- Victim
“I don’t know whose turn it would be before the needful is done because I heard from a reliable source that the Task Force on Environment prevents people who want to cover up the deadly open drainages”, Mr. Ehikwe further lamented
Continuing, he said he does know when and how he and his wife will recover from the trauma of losing their son in such a disastrous way. He described the late Chukwuemeke as a promising son whose intellect has shown that his academic future was very bright.
He used the opportunity to caution school owners not to allow their school children to leave school immediately, whenever there is a heavy downpour but rather delay the closing time to allow reduction of flood water to prevent further occurrence.
It would be recalled that late Mike Osubor was on his motorcycle when he fell into one of the open drainages by Ajuebon off Old Lagos/Asaba Road in Boji-Boji, Owa since April 15, 2022, and since a year and seven months, the body has not been found.
Meanwhile, concerned Ika residents have condemned the nonchalant attitude of governments at the State and local government levels who have willfully refused to heed the people’s call to cover these open drainages that has continued to claim innocent lives. Again, a stitch in time they say saves nine.