Mr and Mrs Chukwuemeka Osemene, parents of a 10-year-old boy, who was recently killed by flood after a downpour, tell MATTHEW OCHEI that their child would have been alive if the Delta State Government had not abandoned a drainage system project without delay
What actually happened on that fateful day your son was killed by flood?
On April 19, 2023, being Wednesday, you all know that the rain did not show any sign that it was going to be heavy. They (children) were working for me here in my house. At a point, they told me that they were going to church and I allowed them to go. I also told them that I would join them before the church would close.
When I noticed it was becoming cloudy, I immediately stopped what I was doing and moved to the church to bring them home. On getting to the road, I was trapped by the rain. It was a heavy rain. I took shelter along the death trap road waiting for the rain to subside.
So, when the rain subsided a little, my children thought I wasn’t coming to the church again. They entered the rain and started coming home. I was still at the place I was waiting. Around 6:30pm when I heard a voice shouting, ‘Divine, Divine, come back’, I came out to know what was actually happening. Though the rain had subsided a little, I noticed they were my children.
I asked the eldest among them, Nonso, what the problem was, he told me that flood had carried Divine away, and that one of his legs slipped when they were walking. Nonso also told me that in an attempt to retrieve one of the slippers, the flood swept my son away into the abandoned drain.
I did all I could to rescue him, but the water had carried him away because it was a deep drain. If you see the injuries I sustained in the attempt to rescue my child because the rod used in constructing the drain injured me in the process. That was how I began to call for help.
What happened afterwards?
When the rain finally subsided, I went into the drain to look for my child, but I didn’t find him. Then well-wishers and friends had joined me in the searching for him. We went to Anwai River; we didn’t see him that Wednesday night. On Thursday, we checked all the places, including Temple Clinic area down to River Niger, but we didn’t see him. That was how a good Samaritan declared N100,000 reward for anyone who would find my child. Apart from dropping a phone number, the man also gave N2,000 to youths and we left.
On Friday, we received a call from them that they saw the body of the child in Anwai River. We went there and confirmed that it was my dead child. So, why was the state government lying that they were part of the rescue team and that they were the one who rescued my child?
Why are you bringing in the state government into the unfortunate incident?
The Delta State Government created darkness for me and my wife for allowing such a death trap. I made my findings and discovered that the person in charge of that project was the Director of Protocol, Government House. The project had been abandoned for over three years, leaving it as a death in a residential area. I want to correct an impression by the state government that they dispatched rescue team; the state government was never part of the rescue team. I did the search along with my neighbours and well-wishers.
No amount of money can bring back my child – Mrs Osemene
Your husband said he was at home working when the children went to the church. Where were you at that time?
I went to work. I was on my way coming back when the rain started. The wiper of my vehicle stopped working. So, I could not continue. I had to stop somewhere and only continued when the rain stopped.
At this point, what do you want?
Our pain is that the Delta State Government did not show concerned. The incident happened on Wednesday 19, but since that time, we’ve not heard a word from the government who set the trap. The only word we heard from them was that they dispatched rescue team to search for the body. It is a lie; well-wishers, sympathisers and our friends found the body of our child.
There is no amount of money that will bring back my child. Therefore, the Delta State Government should go and complete that project and similar ones they abandoned in other areas to avoid a repeat of such incident. I don’t know who the next victim will be as long as that death trap remains the way it is. How long will it take the government to complete abandoned projects to protect children from such danger? What happened is as a result of their negligence on the part of government.
You said the body had been recovered. Have you deposited his body in the mortuary?
No, we didn’t because of the bruises all over his body and swollen body. We had to bury him without delay.
How old was the child?
He was 10 years old. He would have been 11 years old by October this year.
What class was he?
My son, Divine Chukwuemeka Osemene, was in Primary Five. The Delta State Government’s act of gross negligence took the life of my child and stopped his hope of writing common entrance exam.
How many children do you have?
We have four boys. Divine is my second child.
