Students at the Metallurgical Training Institute in Onitsha, Anambra State, have initiated peaceful protests due to severe flooding that has disrupted both academic and non-academic activities on campus. The President of the Student Union Government, Chigozie Onyenyili, voiced concerns about the challenging situation faced by students, including sleepless nights caused by flooded hostels and the destruction of their belongings.
The rising water levels have inundated students’ beds, causing significant discomfort and distress. Onyenyili emphasized that the chronic flooding issue in the federal government-owned institution was exacerbated when government contractors removed an existing drainage system within the school as part of flood control efforts. However, they failed to implement alternative measures to manage the floodwaters.
During the peaceful demonstrations, some students were observed trying to remove water from their rooms in the hostels, while others attempted to salvage their damaged property, including laptops, phones, clothing, and beds from the flood.
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One student, Nkiru, expressed her frustration, citing damages to their laptops, mobile phones, learning materials, beds, and even pots of soup. She described how their belongings were suddenly submerged by the flood, leaving them sleep-deprived and in distress.
The institution’s Public Relations Officer, Owoh Ugochukwu, placed blame on the Anambra State government for the flooding situation. Ugochukwu explained that the state government directed water from surrounding areas, including Obosi, Nkpor, and Onitsha-Owerri Road, to flow through the school without providing adequate drainage measures. He revealed that the state government had excavated an existing drainage system, claiming it was for expansion, but the work was left incomplete, leaving the institute vulnerable to flooding.
Currently, the flooding has engulfed various buildings on campus, including student hostels, the school mosque, the church, and lecture halls. Students’ belongings, such as beds, mattresses, learning materials, and even pots of soup, are submerged in the floodwaters, causing considerable disruption to campus life. The students’ protests aim to draw attention to their plight and seek solutions to this ongoing challenge.
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