River-Niger overflows, sacks 520 Delta college students

From Osakhare Erese, Asaba

No fewer than 520 students of the Delta State Government College Bomadi were on Wednesday displaced by an overflow from the River-Niger.
The victims, mainly pupils/students had resumed for the first-term academic session and were locked in the web of the overflowing River-Niger which reportedly took over its bank and the entire school compound.
It was gathered that the flood almost four feet deep submerged the main road leading to the school, while the building and ancillary property in the compound were flooded.
Expectedly, new and old students of the school were warming up to resume their classes after the usual Assembly Meeting when suddenly the overflowing of the River overwhelmed them.
A Community Leader, Former First Member of the Post Primary Education Board (PPED), Mr. Thomas Ogobri told journalists yesterday in Asaba that the flood had threatened the entire community, adding that their children were no longer safe to attend classes.
While expressing the fear of the unknown, especially the fear that the school might remain closed until the water recede by October end, Mr. Ogobri who spoke alongside the principal of the school, Mrs. Christiana Ogundimu, however called on the State Government to construct a solid and high road to the school and community.
Meanwhile, the major challenging effects against the growth and development of housing units in the state, is the absence of essential social amenities within the affected areas.
The presence of vital social amenities stimulates tenants’ appetite, especially those seeking residential or business apartments.
Therefore, housing units, without one or two of these key social amenities, may be unattractive to those seeking accommodation, no matter the standard of the facilities in the building or its strategic location.
In another development, crops worth millions of naira were yesterday destroyed by the overflowing River-Niger.
Farmers whose crops were destroyed, one of them, Alfred Agbah said the overflowing River-Niger swept away all their crops, especially the yam, and appealed to well meaning Nigerians to come to their aid.
Investigation revealed that houses within River-Niger Bank have been completely submerged since last Monday the River started overflowing.
Although, no life has been reportedly lost, but farm crops within Oko, and Head Bridge have been destroyed.