Sylvester Idowu in Warri
Residents of Okoloba Federated Community in Burutu Local Government Area Delta of have appealed to the state government to assist in sandfilling the proposed site of their new secondary School to avert previous experience.
Leaders of the community made the appeal when some members from the State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education paid an inspection visit to the proposed site.
Mr. Matthias Young, one of the community leaders said the appeal became expedient because they live in a flood ravaged community adding that the development had disrupted the academic calender of their children for over a term.
“We live in a flood ravaged community, the flood made our children to skip school for more than a term because all the structures in the community including the only secondary school were flooded.
“Based on what we have experienced in this community in terms of flooding, we are appealing to governor Okowa to help us sandfill the proposed site because before commencing construction of the building.
“This will enable the land to stay above the sea level and by implication prevent the school from being submerged like every other buildings in the community whenever there is flood,” he said.
Also appealing, Mr. Davids Akpoblokeme, an indegene and Senior Special Assistant to Governor Okowa on Research and Youth Development said their people go through pains as a result of persistent flooding.
“I want to join my brothers to appeal to the state Governor to assist us because we have been suffering a lot in this community. Each time there is flood in the community, all the houses including the schools will be submerged.
“You can see what has been done at the permanent site of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA’s) Science and Technical College which is just few kilometers from the proposed site of the secondary school which is not affected because it was sand-filled,” Akpoblokeme said.
Speaking in the same vein, Chairman of the community, Stephen Koki said the community is appealing, this time around, that government should sand-fill the proposed secondary school site adding “So that even if there is flood in the future, it will not affect the school and our children’s academic calendar.
Thomas Erebimiekumo, Principal Adminstration Officer, Department of Planning and Research, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, said they were in the community to inspect the land the community had provided for the building of the proposed school.
“We are in the community in respect to a letter that was written to the Ministry of Education by the people of Okoloba Federated Community asking the state government to build a secondary school for them.
“In the letter we were told that there was a secondary school that was been handled by private individuals since 2011. So Government took over the school from them after seeing their enthusiasm in 2013.
“When we inspected the land, we found that the whole area was flooded, of course it is not perculiar to only this community but the whole Niger Delta region,” Erebimiekumo said.
