Metallurgical Training Institute Rocked By Protest As Flood Sacks Students From Hostels

By Chuks Eke

No fewer than 1,500 students from the Metallurgical Training Institute (MTI) in Onitsha, Anambra State, have begun a peaceful protest against their displacement due to a severe downpour on Wednesday night that flooded 10 of the institution’s 27 hostel blocks.

The students, led by the President of the Institute’s Students Union Government, Comrade Chigozie Onyeyiri Ezeofor, held banners with various inscriptions urging Governor Chukwuma Soludo to come to our help. Our hostels are no longer accessible to us. We’ve become stranded. This setting is no longer favorable to learning,” among other things.

Conducting newsmen around the over-flooded hostels with the Institute’s Deputy Director of Works, Engr. Ferdinand Omeh, the SUG President, Ezeofor explained that out of a total of 27 hostel blocks on the MTI premises, 10 of them were over flooded by the heavy downpour, leaving over 360 students homeless.

Omeh and Ezeofor went on to say that the water not only displaced the students and rendered them homeless, but it also ruined their household properties worth millions of naira.

According to the demonstrators, “the present impact of this, which the entire Institute community is now facing is terrible. Portions of the Institute’s perimeter fence that was recently reconstructed have again been pulled down by the flood arising from the heavy downpour”.

“Network of internal asphalted roads rehabilitated not long ago is now cut into sections. Students’ hotel buildings are now flooded almost to window level and as a result, students’ personal belongings, including foodstuff, boxes/bags, beddings were destroyed and above all, both academic and non-academic activities have been paralysed”.

Ezeofor and Omeh claimed that the perennial flooding in the Federal Government-owned institution was exacerbated because government contractors destroyed their existing drainages in order to build a new one without providing alternative flood mitigation measures. They also mentioned the students’ cafeteria, multipurpose hall/common room, worship centers with sacred articles of worship, property in commercial vendors’ shops, computers, generators, stationeries, and other items.

“Flooding has been an issue here in this institution, but it was worsened because the government recently commenced flood control process by removing an existing drainage inside the school, but they didn’t put the necessary measures in place to mitigate flood”.

“They commenced flood control during the rainy season, but now, they have abandoned the work and as we speak now, the whole institution is flooded. Students properties are being destroyed, our beds, mattresses, learning materials, laptops, pots of soups have been washed away”.

“We are embarking on this peaceful demonstration to draw the attention of the government towards our plight, the management of the institution has done its best, but we need the government to step in and continue the job which they have abandoned”.

“The two machines the government brought for the job are not working and there is a need for them to bring in more personnel to commence the work so that normal activities will resume at the institution.”

During the peaceful demonstration around the community, some students of the institution were seen scooping water out of their various rooms from their hostels, while some were also trying to salvage some of their properties, like laptops, phones, clothing, and beds from the flood.

“Our properties are damaged. The flood suddenly submerged our beds and we have remained awake every night. This flood has subjected us all to pain. Other students whose valuables are inside have abandoned them because there is no way in and the rainwater has filled the whole place.”

The premises of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Catholic Church Chaplaincy were equally flooded so much so that their wireless microphones and laud speakers were soaked by water, just as the perimeter fencing protecting the Deeper Life Church building was pulled down completely.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Ugochukwu Owoh blamed the Anambra State government for the development.

Ugochukwu noted that the state government channelled waters that come from Obosi, Nkpor, and Onitsha-Owerri Road and environs, down to the school, without providing adequate measures for enough drainage.

He said, “The flood issue has lingered for some years now, but the school authorities are doing their best. The flood is a result of the state government channelling waters that come from Obosi, Nkpor, Onitsha-Owerri Road and environs down to the school.

“But before then, we had a smaller drainage which was carrying little water, we made a case to the state government and other relevant agencies, but the state government came and excavated the existing drainage in the name of expansion, but the work has been abandoned and there are no alternative measures put in place.

“As we speak now, the waters have covered the buildings in the school and the buildings are sinking. The student’s hostels, school mosques, churches, and lecture halls are underwater. The student beds, mattresses, learning equipment, and pots of soups are swimming in the waters all over the place.”