By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
Mysterious fire has razed one of the newly commissioned ultra modern mega technical secondary schools built by the administration of Governor Babagana Zulum located at Ruwan Zafi Custom Area of Maiduguri Metropolis on Monday .
It would be recalled that the educational edifice was among the chains of capital projects commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari as one of the mega schools in Borno State named as ‘ Goni Kachallari Government Day Technical Secondary Schoo’.
Unfortunately, as at the time of going to the press, the root cause of the inferno was unknown according to some eye witnesses that spoke to our correspondent at the scenes of the fire disaster.
An eyewitness, Baana Modu , one of the CJTF in Ruwan Zafi unit said,” we were sitting down here in our post when we saw black smoke and residents running towards the school .”
“We have to join them and come to realize that it was the Borno Fertilizer Plant behind the newly constructed technical.secindary school that was on fire and residents can not have access to rescue the building or out off the fire”.
“Later we saw Fire Service Vehicles but before their arrival, already the inferno has reached unbearable position and almost touched the school building from behind the fertilizer plant buildings.
” And you know the fertilizer plant is full of chemicals and solutions. So, many good Samaritan’s wanted to assist but to no avail for fear of being injured or burnt. However, the fire service vehicles were available and subsequently, put off the fire.
“But it took them long time to do so. They were here for almost two hours or more than one hour to be precise. No casualty. No death but there may be injury in the Borno Fertilizer Plant which is an old building with staff or workers while they ne school has only security at the gate. It is yet to be occupied by th students and teachers or staff” Modu said.
However, some residents of the area, Goni Kachallari Community called for quick investigation into the fire disaster to ascertained the root cause of the inferno and bring the perpetrators to book.
Others lamented bitterly about the incident and described it as a huge setback to the educational sector of the state after huge capital resources have been invested in it to provide schools and job opportunities for the people by the government.
Giving an account of the extend of damage done to the school and its environs, another eyewitness, Adam Kolomi, said the multi-million naira technical secondary school project had its third floor completely razed down by fire.
Kolomi noted that “Although the fire service men made their best efforts from both the Federal and State Fire Service units alongside one private organization called Chemise Construction Company which was working on a nearby project was also deployed to render support to the fire fighters who could not easily put the fire off and control the situation in time but they tried”, he said.
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