5 school children drown as bridge collapses in Enugu community

Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu

The Aguiduma-Aniyi Amagunze Community, Nkanu East Local Government, Enugu state has been thrown into mourning following the drowning of five school children at the Ogbafu River in the community.

The five school children who were returning from school on Friday August 13, 2021, were said to have drowned while crossing the Ogbafu local bridge.

Consequently, the community has sent a Save-Our-Soul (SOS) to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for an urgent intervention on the collapsed local bridge.

The community in the SOS dated August 19, 2021 and signed by Chief Hycent Obisi and Nweke Uchenna, Chairman and Secretary respectively, lamented that they have been cut off from the rest of the communities in the area by the collapse of the bridge.

They said, “Sir, with a sorrowful heart, we wish to inform you that we have no access road, and the wooden Bridge constructed by our community to enable us access our country home and interact with our neighbouring communities have been swept off by flood on the 13/08/2021.

“Your Excellency Sir, recall that on the 12th day of August 2015, we lost five of our
beloved children (students coming back from school) to flood on the same Ogbafu
Bridge which links Aguiduma-Aniyi Amagunze to other neighbouring communities in Enugu State.”

They regretted that school children were no longer going to school because they could not swim Ogbafu River which served as the only access road to the community.

Furthermore, the community said, “It is unfortunate to bring to your notice Your Excellency, that Aguiduma-Aniyi
Amagunze has not enjoyed any dividend of democracy except a primary school
constructed in 1999, despite the fact that we come out in large numbers to cast our
vote.

“We have seen your imprint in both urban and rural areas of Enugu State and we pray to enjoy same in our community in the areas of: good access road, electricity, health care among others.”