Information reaching us indicated that the four officials of the World Bank who died when the boat in which they were travelling capsized in Ekiti State did not wear life jackets.
The four people who were among the World Bank team on an assignment, drowned at Egbe Dam located in Egbe Ekiti in Gbonyin Local Government. They were said to have commenced work at the site on Tuesday before tragedy struck on Wednesday.
The World Bank team was said to have came from Development Dams and Irrigation Scheme in Kaduna State to carry out an assessment of the dam which had long been overdue for turnaround maintenance.
The boat which was sailing from one end of the dam to the other was meant to carry only four passengers but was overloaded with seven passengers. The bodies of the victims were recovered by local fishermen mobilized to the scheme by Gbonyin Local Government Council Chairman.
The local government council chairman, Mrs. Sade Akinrinmola described the incident as ‘unfortunate, saying that she had contacted the community’s monarch, the Owa Egbe, Oba Ayodele Ige Olokesusi, on the tragic incident.
She said that the bodies of the victims have been deposited at the General Hospital, Ode Ekiti, headquarters of the council area.
She said: “We immediately mobilised a rescue team and an ambulance and those wearing life jackets were rescued. The rescued people were the ones who told us that others were in the water. Their bodies were later retrieved by the local fishermen.
“We believe that they (the victims) were there based on some of the proposals we had written on the dam and how it could be put to use and we believe that the World Bank had started work on the river based on the calls.”
Police spokesman, Alberto Adeyemi confirmed the incident which he said was still under investigation.
Adeyemi said: “They must have come from the Federal Ministry because dams are owned by the Federal Government. It is true that their boat capsized, four of them died while three survived.”
Meanwhile the Ekiti State House of Assembly, on Thursday, observed a-minute silence in honour of the four members of the World Bank assessment team who drowned in Ekiti River. The House expressed sympathy for the Federal Government and the World Bank.
A statement by the Special Assistant on media to the House Speaker, Stephen Gbadamosi, said that the House, at its plenary on Thursday, observed a one-minute silence in honour of the members of the World Bank assessment team on assignment at Egbe Dam in Egbe Ekiti, Gbonyin Local Government Area of the state.
The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Kola Oluwawole, responding to the observation made by the House Committee Chairman on Information, Chief Olugboyega Aribisogan, calling the House’s attention to the tragedy, described the development as saddening and unfortunate.
Oluwawole said: “It is a sad development. We have to express our condolences to the Federal Government and the World Bank.
“It is unfortunate that they died in active service and on our soil. I implore the House to let us stand and observe a minute silence in honour of the departed officials.” [myad]
