A fire outbreak on Sunday morning has left many students of Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Ndiwo Itumbauzo, Bende Local Government Area, Abia State, stranded as their school building was destroyed.
According to Mr. Christopher Sunday, a PTA staff member who witnessed the incident, the fire started around 10:00 am when most residents were at church. “The classrooms were locked at the time, but members of the community had to break them open to salvage a few desks,” he explained. He also noted the lack of water, which allowed the fire to spread to nearby farmlands.
The school principal, Uweola Onukwuo, shared that the affected building housed SS1, SS2, SS3 classrooms, the staff room, the laboratory, and the school hall. To keep academic activities going, the school management has temporarily relocated the affected classes to an older, less suitable building.
Onukwuo stated that he plans to report the incident to education authorities in Ohafia and Umuahia for further action.
Deacon Bassey Uwabunkeonye, Mayor of Bende Local Government Area, assured the community that efforts are underway to provide temporary facilities for the students. “The council will work with the community to ensure students have a suitable space while awaiting intervention from the state government,” he said. He also suggested the possibility of acquiring a fire truck to prevent future incidents, noting the distance to firefighting units in Umuahia and Ohafia.
Crown Prince Innocent Iniewe called on the state government to assist in rebuilding the school and restoring normalcy for the students and staff.
Chief Fire Officer of Abia State, Arua Nnanna, revealed that his office had not yet been notified about the incident. However, he highlighted plans by the state government to establish firefighting units across local government areas in partnership with local councils.
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