Families, schools, community mourn victims of Ojo boat mishap

Seek better security, dedicated boats for school ride

Families, friends and the community at large are yet to come to terms with the loss they suffered in the tragedy that befell them some weeks ago. It could be recalled that six schoolchildren drowned and died in a boat mishap in Ojo area of Lagos State.
 
A visit to the area by The Guardian showed a community still in shock, distraught but united in grief. Of additional concern to some residents were the government’s account of the incident and yet unsaid plans to compensate affected families.
 
Among the ‘compensation’ demanded were improved security on the waterways and dedicated boats and life vests to schoolchildren in the riverine community.
 
Indeed, enormous sorrow still hung in the air around Osolu High school and Irewe primary school in Ojo, where the six deceased learned and played with mates just a fortnight ago.
 
Though young at heart, pupils of the primary school felt the loss of Jonathan Friday (12-years-old). Their teachers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said an unusual quietude had enveloped the school since the sad news broke. 
 
Other victims that died were Josephine Ajigbo, 16; Nelson Feyekun; Bridget, Patience and Epeh of Osolu High school.
 
It would be recalled that the deceased and nine others (survivors) were going to school in a canoe, when the accident occurred just near the Irewe shores of their destination.
 
Jonathan’s mother, Veronica Friday, said life had not been the same since the loss of her dear son, Jonathan.
 
Veronica said the boy had looked forward to the third-term examination, which was why he had insisted on going to school on the fateful day – despite his grandmother’s resistance.
 
“He said exams will start on Wednesday (last week) and he had to go. But, I wished my son had listened to mama’s advice not to go to school,” Veronica said.
   
Jonathan’s elder sister, Abigail, 17, explained that the grandmother asked Jonathan to shelve the idea of going to school since he was already late.
   
She noted that Jonathan often leaves home around 7:30am but two Wednesdays ago, he left at around 8:30am. 
 
“I still hope to see him come home,“ Abigail said, absent-mindedly.
 
Florence Akindele, a guardian to one of the victims, Patience, added that the third-term examination had come at a very wrong time.
 
“If not for the examination, I wouldn’t have allowed Patience to leave for school that day,” she said.
 
Sources said that Patience had been living with Akindele since she was year-old.
 
Sympathizers were still seen around Akindele, in Olomo-metta, to commiserate with her.
 
State government’s account narrated that tragedy struck when a faulty motorised boat strayed into the oncoming canoe, packed with 14 schoolchildren and an adult, causing the later to capsize.

But the residents, some of them eyewitnesses, said it was caused by over speeding by the fuel-transporting motorised boat, in a bid to avoid arrest by waterways task force.
 
One of the survivors, Evelyn Mensah, still carrying injuries sustained on her left limb, narrated that the operator of the motorised canoe was reckless.
 
Mensah said: “I cannot believe that he (the operator) didn’t see us. In fact, when we sighted the boat, we shouted because we discovered that he was speeding. But the captain failed to manoeuvre. This prompted us to stand up, believing that it will alert him. It didn’t, till he ran into us.”
 
The Baale of Igiraland, Matimiloju Salami, in an interview, said the motorised boat was conveying jerry cans filled with fuel to Badagry before it ran into the canoe.
 
Salami lamented that the injury sustained by the victims contributed to their drowning, saying, “some had their heads shattered by the engine blade.”
 
It was learnt that the boat was trying to avoid arrest from the Marine police before it ran into their canoe.
 
Residents of riverine communities also blamed the activities of illegal sand dredgers in the communities for the depth of the river and failure of government to put them in check.
 
Salami explained “few years ago at that point of the accident, the water wasn’t as deep as it is. In fact, a six-foot tall person can stand at that point and his head would be noticed.”
 
Matimiloju added that the depth of the water few years ago affords divers the opportunity to easily rescue anyone from the water. But the massive depth the river has acquired lately affected the recovery time of the six students, who died in the mishap.
 
A resident, Abiodun Williams, stressed that the sand dredgers often leave their wrecked canoe on the waterways, not considering the hazard it would cause for smaller boats.
 
On why the sand dredgers have operated with impunity, it was gathered that the lack of agreement between the Federal Government and State government on who has authority over the river has allowed the dredgers to continue to their operations without control.
 
Noimot Ajangbodu added that if the schools had their dedicated speedboats, operators would tread with more caution and put an end to such disasters.
 
Ajangbodu has barred her children from going to school until the government provides speedboats that can commute them to school.
 
“I can’t allow my children go to school across the river again. The only canoe they were using has been damaged during the accident. And none has been provided by the government,” she said.