On Sunday morning, management and students of Saint Joseph Memorial High School, Aguleri woke up to shocking devastation caused on the roof of over fifteen buildings within the school.
The incident which happened on Saturday night during a rainfall that brought about wind storm that blew off the roof of the buildings attracted the attention of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, who visited the school immediately.
Correspondent, Ngozi Obileri covered the visit and reports that NEMA and SEMA took joint assessment visit to the school to ascertain level of damage and to know how to ameliorate the effect on the school.
Lamenting the situation, the Principal of the school Reverend Father Izuu Okafor said that it happened on Saturday night soon after the students retired to the hostel, having returned from the Easter break.
Reverend Father Okafor explained that the wind storm came with a rainfall and destroyed both the school hall where external examinations are held regretting that the school may not use the school as center for WAEC examination coming up soon and as well not be able to serve as holding center for state government in case of flooding since rainy season is just starting
After a tour of the damaged buildings, the zonal Director, National Emergency Management Agency, Enugu zone, Mr Ezeh Major noted that they came to see things for themselves as soon as they were alerted, adding that they will act quickly and bring the incident to their headquarters in Abuja for quick intervention.
Speaking on behalf of SEMA, Barrister Chukwudi Onyejekwe, said the wind storm caused serious havoc in the community including residential houses, but expressed shock over the level of damage at the school, assuring that they will go back and write a report to the Governor for immediate action.
A member of the Father Joseph Aguleri Old Boys Association Sir Mike Meze, said they are devastated by the incident which he described as unfortunate especially when they are planning to site a three thousand sitting capacity auditorium in the school, calling on government at all levels to come to their aid .
In a similar development, the wind storm also pulled off part of a school block and other buildings in Justice Chinwuba secondary school Aguleri.
NEMA representative Mr Major said the roofing was done with substandard materials that got destroyed just two years after building the school block.
The Zonal Director PPSSC, Otuocha zone, Mrs Theresa Obi, expressed sadness over the incident but thanked God that no life was lost.
The board member Post Primary School Service Commission, Otuocha zone, Chief Joe Enemuo and the Principal of the school Mr Emmanuel Anerobi acknowledged that the contractor used substandard materials for the school block which they said they called his attention to, regretting that the situation has forced students and teachers to sit under the tree for academic activities.
Meanwhile students of Father Joseph High school were seen clearing part of the school while some students of Justice Chinwuba memorial Secondary School were seen seated outside the damaged school building and some economic trees were uprooted.
