Fear of another flooding tragedy kept many parents and guardians in Awka and surrounding communities from sending their children to school yesterday after a heavy downpour that began around 4am and persisted for hours.
The apprehension came exactly one week after a six-year-old pupil of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Primary School, Success Ezenwafor, was swept away by floodwaters while travelling to school in a bus with other children.
The other children and adults caught in the incident were rescued, but Success was initially declared missing before his death was subsequently confirmed.
With memories of the tragedy still fresh, some parents decided not to take chances as another heavy rainfall hit Awka and neighbouring communities.
THISDAY gathered that parents monitored the weather and the condition of roads around their homes, as well as the routes their children normally take to school, before deciding whether to allow them to leave.
One parent who spoke with THISDAY said the death of Success was still too recent for parents to ignore the potential dangers posed by heavy rainfall and flooding.
“After what happened last week, nobody should blame a parent for keeping a child at home when there is this kind of rain,” the parent said.
A journalist, Jude Atupulazi, also urged parents to prioritise the safety of their children over school attendance whenever roads and other routes appeared unsafe.
Recalling the tragedy of the previous Tuesday, Atupulazi said: “Exactly this time last week this boy was trapped in flood with two of his siblings and others in a bus before finally being swept off. It’s another Tuesday and it’s been raining.”
“Parents, please check your environment and the route your kids take to school. If not safe, let them stay at home,” he added.
A THISDAY correspondent who monitored schools in the area found that several recorded the absence of some pupils, particularly those living in flood- and erosion-prone parts of the town.
The latest rainfall has heightened concerns among residents about flooding in Awka, where recent downpours have caused damage to properties and left some communities vulnerable to erosion.
David-Chyddy Eleke
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