A mysterious fire has gutted Annang Secondary Commercial School, a private school located in IdungEsimuk, OdoroIkot in EssienUdim Local Government Area of AkwaIbom State.
It was gathered on Saturday that the strange fire destroyed school documents, buildings and other property worth several millions of naira.
The Proprietor of the school, Rev. Joseph Ada who spoke with newsmen on Saturday said he rushed to the school on getting the information about the fire incident, adding that by the time he got there the fire had become uncontrollable.
He said “I was at home when I received the unfortunate news and before I could rush down to the scene it was already late to control the fire. Some concerned neighbours had tried to quench the fire when it started before my arrival, but their efforts proved abortive as the flame kept increasing.
“When I arrived, I was helpless as I was confused of what to do at that point because that fire could only be controlled by fire fighters. And the only Fire-Fighting Station we used to have in Essien Udim was attacked and burnt during the recent crisis”
He described the fire incident as a mystery, because the school has no electricity connection or generating plant adding that they always hire generating set whenever the need arises, wondering what would have caused such inferno which has wrecked so much havoc on the school
Mr Ada who is also the Chairman, National Association of Private Schools Essien Udim Chapter, said that the inferno had rendered both the teachers and students of the school helpless as the September 2021 resumption date in Akwa Ibom State approaches.
He therefore, appealed to both Local and State governments, corporate bodies as well as public spirited individuals to assist him reconstruct the school which he said had been a source of livelihood to him and many others and citadel of learning in the locality.
“I am pleading with our governor, Udom Emmanuel, to come to my aid in the spirit of ‘Dakkada’ so that I can reconstruct the school before the next academic session in September. Let the governor through our amiable Commissioner for Education come and see things for himself.
“Here I am left with nothing except God. Everything I had in this school has gone. Both classroom and administrative blocks have been razed and all documents completely damaged, destroyed and burnt to ashes,” the Proprietor lamented
Rev Ada, who, prayed God for divine intervention as the school was his only source of livelihood, however appealed to parents and guardians to remain calm as the management was doing everything possible to ensure that their students resume in time despite the fire incidence.
A staff of the school, Mr Emmanuel Akpan, who spoke with newsmen also pleaded with governments at all levels and philanthropic organisations to support the proprietor to rebuild the school which he said had helped put food on the table of many of them and also provided educational services to children in the community.
He described the school as one of the best in the area, in terms of academic standard, adding, “The school is one of the best around here and as such it should not be allowed to go down the drain like that despite the fact that it is owned by private individual.
“We appeal to governments to assist the proprietor for the sake of the students.”As you can see, candidates who are writing NECO and WAEC examinations now are stranded as there is no hall for them to use,” Akpan lamented.