It was indeed a black Wednesday in Enugu recently when 21 pupils of a private school lost their lives due to road accident. CHUKS NWEZE reports.
Like a bolt from the blues, Presentation Nursery and Primary School Awgu in Awgu local government area of Enugu state was recently thrown into mourning and anguish as 21 pupils from the school met their untimely death in a road accident.Nobody knew that a day like that would occur, just as no one had any premonition that something ominous was about to happen, but it happened.A trailer popularly called ‘low bed’ used in transporting road construction equipment and vehicles, was said to have lost control from a steep hilly road along Mmaku axis and rammed into a bus conveying the pupils who were returning from school thereby resulting in the mayhem as 21 pupils lost their lives instantly while many others sustained various degrees of injuries. This threw the entire Awgu community into mourning, not only the management of the school and the parents.In the tragedy that took place, the news of others that died in the unfortunate accident seemed to be downplayed or forgotten entirely because it was not only the pupils that lost their lives as some people in the vicinity fell prey to the accident. Blueprint learnt that an apprentice motorcycle mechanic, a vulcaniser and a teacher in the school who accompanied the pupils to their homes also perished. Nobody can ascertain what actually transpired, whether the accident was caused by brake failure or carelessness on the part of the truck driver but it was a tragedy too many. That was not the first time accidents have been occurring at that particular spot. Residents who spoke to Blueprint said from time to time, accidents had always occurred there because of the sloppy nature of the road at the Mmaku-Awgu Junction. They suggest that government should either expand the road or build a flyover so that vehicles coming from the Awgu local government headquarters could go up while the traffic from Mmaku axis would then go under the flyover. However, for a long time to come, the story of the tragedy would be told within and without Awgu and even if every other persons forget the accident, parents and guardians whose children and wards either died or were injured, would not forget the accident in a hurry. Some parents had two to three children in the hapless bus. While some lost their children instantly, some others had their children injured while few others escaped with minor injuries.
Similar occurrences in the past
A 19-year-old Sunday Eze from Oduma in Aninri local government area of the state was in his master’s workshop where he was learning how to repair motorcycle when the vehicle came and hit him. He could not escape as the rampaging vehicle hit their workshop and he died on the way to the hospital. A vulcuniser who shared border with the motorcycle mechanic also lost his life. The mechanic, Augustine Iloka would have equally died but God saved him as he was in the nearby bush at the time of the incident. It was from where he was defecating that he heard the terrible bang that culminated in the death of many.Brother to late Sunday Eze, 21-year old Chidubem Eze, described his brother as a nice and easygoing young man whom they thought would have been a help to the family before untimely death claimed his life. “He was my younger brother. He was talking when I met him and we were taking him to UNTH when he died,” Chidubem laments. He explained that Sunday dropped out of school at JSS3 and went to learn trade so that he could help his brothers and parents.The motorcycle mechanic, Augustine Iloka whose apprentice, Sunday Eze died in the accident lamented, that the particular spot had been claiming lives because of its sloppy nature and prayed government to do something to save lives. “Let them build a flyover or roundabout here or rather expand the road,” he pleaded.
Other victims narrate experience
To Mrs Ebere Oguejiofor, wife of an Anglican clergyman and a nurse, the day will remain indelible in her psyche. Three of her children were involved in the accident but only one died while others sustained minor injuries.She narrated her experience that day. “That day I went to their school for something. I didn’t want my children to know that I was in their school. When I came back, I heard a loud sound and I knew it was an accident. Quickly, I started making calls. I called the driver of the vehicle but I did not get any response. Then a boy came to my house and told me that Chiamaka is dead and Chidimma broke her leg. I then went to Jideofor Hospital where the children were taken to and we took them to another hospital, UNTH, Enugu.” She was however grateful to God that her youngest child, Chizulum survived with very minor injury.Ugosinachi Chibuike Ogbonna in primary 4 was so lucky that she escaped the accident with a fracture to her left leg. When Blueprint visited her house, her leg was swathed in bandage and she was receiving treatment from a traditional bone setter.Her grand mother, Christiana Ogbonna who owned a shop close to the scene of the accident said she was in her shop when the accident occurred.”I was in my shed and we saw a vehicle coming down from Mmaku road and it was coming down dangerously and the next thing we heard was a big bang and it was the accident. We took my grand child to St. Ann Hospital at Oyeani, Awgu and later took her to a traditional bone setter. We never knew there was going to be any accident. We had no premonition at all. We pray that government should do something about the road to check the frequent accidents that happen there,” she said.The accident has left Emmanuella Chinenye Eze shattered and devastated because she lost her three and half year-old son, Chidubem Eze. She was lucky however that her daughter, Precious Eze survived the accident but with serious injuries that she needed to go through scan but said she kept the child at home because she could not afford to pay N45,000 for the scan and UNTH could not help her.Her story is pathetic because she used to live with her husband in Cote DIvorie but had to return home with the children for fear of the outcome of Ivory Coast presidential election. “It was on Wednesday the accident happened when they were coming home from school. My three and half years old son, Chidubem died but Precious was saved but she had head injury. We went to Jideofor Hospital and from there to UNTH. “I went to Awgu City that day and I heard that there was an accident at the junction. Now, my son Chidubem is gone. “What shall I do and Precious had head injury and they require us to pay N45,000 for her scan,” she lamented. She was however lucky that her four-old daughter, Nneoma survived the accident unscathed.The family of Ogechukwu Ogbonna from Mgbidi was hard hit in the accident as they lost 10-year old Chioma and what is more, they were still at UNTH because 8-year old Ifechukwu was badly injured after buying 15 pints of blood to save his life. According to Ogechukwu, Ifechukwu’s lever was affected and he lost so much blood. The family is lucky, however because their four-old Nneoma survived the accident and was busy enjoying her meal when Blueprint visited the hospital.It was gathered that a widow from Mgbowo who just lost her husband not too long ago, lost two of her children to the accident.
Sympathy visits
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has been to UNTH and promised to pay the hospital bills of the injured. Similarly, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and House of Reps member representing Awgu, Aninri and Oji River, Hon Toby Okechukwu all visited the scene of the accident and commiserated with the families of the deceased. The deputy governor, Cecilia Ezeilo was said to have visited the scene and said that artisans and shop owners doing business at the junction would be removed to avert a possible casualties on the spot which seems to be prone to accident.
