By Samuel Ogude
Following few days torrential rains in Warri and its environs, Isibovbe Primary School in Warri, Warri South Local Government Area of the state, is flooded with water as many of the pupils swam in the flood into their classrooms. Speaking to Bailout Magazine, the Head Teacher of the school, Mrs. Grey –Areben Gladys said, it has not been the case before now saying, this one was worse that than the ones the school has ever experienced in recent times. She said, this flood has really prevented the pupils to have access to their classrooms and come out to play during long break.
She said:” It has never been like this before, many of the learners swam through the water into their classrooms and could not come outside because everywhere was flooded”.
According to her, this flood may have been occasioned by part of the school fence that caved- in that made the whole water in the area to enter the school premises saying, even with caved -in fence, the school has not experienced this phenomenon. According to her, it was also possible that people in the area channeled their water towards the school premises.
She said:” What we have seen from yesterday till now is terrible, the school has not experienced this phenomenon.”
The Head Teacher said, apart from the flood preventing the learners from getting access to their classrooms, it is a death –trap, saying, children, being who they are, were so careless and eager to jump into the water adding, it was hell of job to her the previous day to prevent them (learners) from doing so or else get drowned.
She said:” I had to leave my office so late yesterday because, I had to attend to the learners by preventing them from jumping into the water because, being who they are, some of them made attempts to jump into the water because they wanted to bathe”.
According Mrs. Grey –Areben Gladys, the flooded premises is not safe for both the teachers and the learners as they ( teachers) could not park their vehicles outside because the whole place was flooded.
She said:”She as you see ( Points at the water), the whole place is flooded, teachers can not park their cars ”.According to her, at the time of speaking to Bailout Magazine, the water has even receded adding, it was worse than that, the previous day.
Mrs. Grey –Areben Gladys therefore appealed to the state government to come to their aid saying, if there is anything they can do as regards the fence and of course, to channel the water off the premises, they should do urgently.
She said:” We should be happy if state the government can channel the water off the school premises and possibly mend the caved –in fence to prevent water into the school premises”.