A heavy downpour on Friday wreaked havoc in Nsukka, Enugu State, submerging Enugu Road Primary School and several residential houses, sparking fresh concerns over safety and the government’s inaction.
The school, which shares premises with St. John Catholic Church, has for years battled flooding caused by a blocked underground waterway along the Enugu–Nsukka expressway. The latest incident has left parents and residents furious.
“This has been our fear in this school,” a worried parent said.
“The school is about to resume, yet the rains have not stopped. We live in fear whenever it rains. Some parents have even moved their children to other schools because of this ecological disaster.”
Chinasa Ozora, a member of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), lamented that authorities had failed to provide lasting solutions.
“As PTA, we have appealed repeatedly. The local government only dug a borrow pit within the school to collect water, but clearly, it has not solved the problem,” Ozora said.
The flooding did not spare nearby businesses and homes. Some residents spent the day scooping water out of their buildings.
A resident, identified as Ozioko, narrated: “The rain started this morning. Even before it got heavy, floodwater had already entered our building. We are tired of crying. We keep praying that God will intervene since the government has abandoned us.”
Another resident, Maria Eze, disclosed that the school had been forced to move children to unaffected blocks before the end of the last term. “Now that pupils are on holiday, management has evacuated chairs from the worst-hit classrooms, but you can see how water still covers the inside.”
The development has triggered outrage among residents, who accused the Enugu State Government of indifference.
“Why the state government has kept mute over this dangerous spot on the road is what we don’t understand,” Ozora fumed. “Even the local government only pays lip service while our children remain at risk.”
With schools scheduled to resume soon, parents, residents and business owners are calling for urgent government intervention to avert what they fear could turn into a full-blown disaster.
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