Wind of sorrow

From Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki

There is sorrow and despondency across the length and breadth of Uburu community in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. Governor David Umahi hails from the community. A ferocious windstorm that occurred on May 13, 2022, wreaked havoc there, killing six persons, while several others sustained injuries.

It was an Eke market day in Igboland and Uburu people gathered in their numbers at the popular evening market, known as Eke-Ajah, to buy and sell.

Everything was going on well when, suddenly, a strong wind began to blow. Traders and others in the market ran helter-skelter, trying to take cover under some of the market structures recently built by the Ebonyi State government. But rather than abate, the wind became fiercer and, suddenly, the roof and wall of one of the buildings caved in on the people there.

It was an instant tragedy as two traders reportedly died on the spot. It was gathered that at least six persons had died by Sunday, May 15.

One of the victims of the market building collapse was 30-year-old Mrs. Margaret Uchenna, from Umuoji Eweze, Uburu. A mother of six, she had gone to the market that fateful Thursday evening to buy food for her household when the tragedy struck.

Her crestfallen husband, Uchenna Ogbonnaya, told our correspondent, who visited their family compound on Sunday afternoon, that the sudden death of his dear wife has ruined his life. He said wife was a very industrious woman who had been a pillar of support in the family.

Narrating the incident, he said: “My wife was a mother of four boys and two girls. That day, she went to the market as usual and we were expecting her back home so that the preparation for dinner would commence.

“Suddenly, we started hearing that one building in the market had fallen and that some people were trapped. I rushed to the market only to find out that my wife was among the victims. Our last child would have died with her but, fortunately, she asked her sister in another part of the market to be with the child while she went to grind some ingredients.

“I immediately rushed her to the Presbyterian Joint Hospital, Uburu, but they said we should go to Abakaliki. We then started going to Abakaliki. On our way, two other victims in the same vehicle died, but my wife was still breathing. When we got to the teaching hospital in Abakaliki, the doctors on duty attended to her but she died shortly after.

“I am pained by this calamity because my wife had been a great helper to me and my entire family. Our last child with me here, has been asking about the mother and I don’t know what to tell her.”

When Daily Sun visited the market, the whole place had been sealed. A security agent, who refused to give his name said government ordered that nobody should be allowed into the market.

A member of the community, Mrs. Janet Obasi, who said she witnessed the incident, described it as shocking and devastating. She stated that it happened by 6pm that day.

“We were in the market when, suddenly, the wind started to blow; it was blowing things away and everyone was busy trying to gather their things together. But rather than abate, the wind was growing stronger and stronger, and it continued for about seven minutes, and before we could do anything, the roof of the market building caved in and fell on people. Somebody died immediately while many were injured,” Obasi said.

However, she saw what happened as a natural disaster and prayed for the peaceful repose of the souls of the victims.

Another member of the community, Ene Odii, accused the government of not listening to the cries of the people for them to rebuild or seal off the building when it was first damaged by the wind last month.

Odii noted that the recent calamity could have been avoided if government had taken precautionary action by intervening in good time.

He said: “This tragedy happened because government failed to listen to the calls made by well-meaning people of the community for the market to be sealed off when it was first hit by windstorm. That was about two weeks ago. That day was a market day just like the day this disaster happened, but that day nobody was injured though it removed the roof which fell and destroyed the wares of some traders.

“When this thing happened, we shouted, but, as usual, we were ignored. This time around, it was the wall of the same building that fell on people.”

Odii called for the investigation of the contractors for doing what he described as a shoddy job, and also urged government to take immediate actions to make hospitals in the area functional.

He opined that the three victims who died while being moved to Abakaliki for treatment could have been saved if there was a functional hospital in the community.

“This incident also highlighted the issue of non-availability of a functional hospital in the entire community. Had there been one, the three victims who died while being conveyed to Abakaliki for treatment could have been saved.

“The Presbyterian Joint Hospital, Uburu, that functioned for decades in the community has been rendered comatose by illegal and forceful takeover initiated by the state government,” he lamented.

Meanwhile, Governor Umahi has expressed shock over what happened in his hometown, describing the incident as disturbing and unfortunate.

In a statement by his special assistant on media, Francis Nwaze, the governor commiserated with the families of the victims.

He also called on the security agencies to launch a full-scale investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“The governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi, has received with rude shock the disturbing and unfortunate news of the toppling of a part of the roof of one of the sheds at the Ekeaja Market, Uburu, which resulted in the loss of about three lives, while two others were hospitalized. He described the occurrence as catastrophic.

“Governor Umahi sympathized with the families of the three persons who lost their lives at the popular Ekeaja marketsquare, Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area, on Friday.

“He reached out to others who sustained various degrees of injury during the incident.

“As mortals, we cannot question God but we pray fervently for God Almighty to grant the victims rest in his bosom and comfort their families.

“Governor Umahi, while appealing to families of the deceased to uphold the outcome as the will of God, prayed for the quick recovery of those who sustained injuries during the collapse.

“We, however, pray that God Almighty grants the hospitalized survivors quick recovery and reintegration with their families,” Nwaze stated.

He added that the governor has directed the police and other relevant agencies, including the engineers at the ministry of works, and the contractor of the project, to immediately launch a full-scale investigation to unearth the immediate and remote causes of the incident with a view to averting a recurrence.

At press time, government officials from the community, including the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Daniel Umezuruike, Principal Secretary to the Governor, Emmanuel Obasi, Coordinator of Ohaozara Development Centre, Mr. Peter Akpa, as well as the traditional rulers and leadership of town unions were still paying condolence visits to the families of the victims.

This is even as a school of thought has suggested traditional appeasement of the gods to forestall further calamity in the market, which also serves as traditional square for the Uburu community.