‘Na good dancer wey wan become doctor’ – how Jos school collapse bury students dreams as parents grief

Drawing and story by Chidera Onovo

Courtesy of Chidera Onovo’s family

Writings on di paper, dis playful story about one lazy lion don become memento of young life wey die.

Chidera Onovo, 15, na caring boy wey love to draw and e be im mama favourite.

“E dey save up im lunch money to buy biscuits to share wit im siblings,” Blessing Onovo tok. “And na im dey always notice my mood and e go ask: ‘Mummy you dey fine?’.”

Last Friday morning Chidera go school wit im younger sister Chisom but na only one of dem return.

Official reports from di Nigerian goment tok say na 22 students die in di building collapse for Saints Academy, one private school in di central city of Jos, but local residents say di number dey closer to 50.

As dem dey use dia bare hands and shovels, parents dey desperately search for survivors, managing to tunnel through and free some of di trapped children. “E take about one hour bifor one excavator come,” Chidera papa Chike Michael Onovo tok.

“Wen I see as dem drag my daughter Chisom out. I dey relieve, but I dey shout: ‘Wia Chidera my son dey?’.”

Dem later find di boy body, crushed by di fallen concrete for im classroom on di first floor.

People and excavators on site Saints Academy in Jos.

AFP
Goment and regulators don order separate investigations

‘People cut corners’

43-year-old Victor Dennis dey also search for im pikin dat day. E confam im worst fear, one day later wen e find im son Emmanuel lifeless body for local mortuary.

“My boy na good boy,” e tell di BBC. “E no deserve to die. Dem kill my pikin. E no do anytin wrong. E just go to school to learn.”

Victor Dennis holds a cherished photo of his son, Emmanuel, who died.

Chris Ewokor/ BBC
Victor Dennis hold one cherish foto of im son, Emmanuel

Tears fall from Oga Dennis bloodshot eyes as mourners dey sing farewell hymn for im son burial. Im wife, Emmanuel mother, no dey dia becos she dey inconsolable wit grief, she stay for home.

Pipo for Jos don rally to support each oda, and dem don save many young lives tanks to blood donors wey don visit di local hospitals.

But anger and disbelief dey ground becos dem don allow anoda building collapse to happun for Nigeria. Residents even claim say di children don feel di building shake di day bifor.

“Na substandard materials dem use -  Dis fit dey responsible for di collapse of di building,” regulator and architect Olusegun Godwin Olukoya tok. Olukoya dey lead di Nigerian Institute of Architects for Plateau State. “Our preliminary investigations indicate say dia fit be possible lack of adherence to building regulations.”

E dey serious about im criticism of builders and di Nigerian authorities, as e dey follow BBC tok.

“Unfortunately, becos of di society we dey live in, lack of will don prevent di authorities from adopting our suggestions in di past.

“Pipo go cut corners and wen you try to raise alarm, some feel say you dey try to victimise or oppress dem. Dem use dia pipo wey dey in positions of authority to circumvent di rules.”

A photo of Emmanuel Dennis.

BBC
Emmanuel Dennis lose im life to di building collapse

Following di building collapse for Saints Academy, di local govnor don order structural audit of all schools and public buildings for Plateau State, of which Jos na di capital.

Officials for im goment say e no dey clear weda di school owner, wey don die, eva get construction permit for di site.

Di BBC no fit get comment from di school management.

Some also suspect say mining activity wey dey closeby fit damage di school building, so di govnor don order di arrest of any artisanal miners wey dem find digging for residential areas in di state.

But officials suspect say di main problem na how dem bin build di school.

“Even a layman wey no be building professional, fit see say di material dem use in di construction no be standard. But we go investigate di cause of di collapse and punish pipo we find culpable,” Musa Ashom, di state Commissioner for Information, tell di BBC.

Similar promise come from Nigeria Housing Minister, Ahmed Dangiwa, wey tok about di individuals wey dia actions fit result in di Jos school collapse and cause unquantifiable loss.

But dose words go come as little consolation to di many bereft families, like dat of Chinecherem Joy Emeka.

Di 13-year-old na one of di best dancers for her school and dream of becoming doctor one day, her mama Blessing Nwabuchi tok.

Chinecherem, or Chi Chi as we dey call am, dey write her end-of year exams, di day wey she die.

Fotos like dis one, from her junior high graduation last year, na precious reminder of wetin she don achieve – and evritin she don become.

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