Four persons believed to be workers on a World Bank assessment mission to Egbe Dam in Egbe community in Gbonyin Local Government Area of Ekiti State have drowned in River Egbe.
The tragedy occurred when a boat conveying seven workers and their equipment capsized.Three of the workers wereb rescued.The deceased areBamidele Waheed Alayande, Tirimisiyu Alaran, David Malu and one Albert.
Those who survived and are receiving treatment in hospital are Charles Ehinlaye, Bukky Ajet and Yahaya Mohammed.
The workers, said to have come from Development Dams and Irrigation Schemes, Kaduna State, were said to have begun their assessment mission to the dam for turnaround maintenance on Tuesday night.
Sources said the bodies of the dead were fished out by local fishermen, who were said to have been mobilised by the chairman of Gbonyin Local Government, Mrs. Folasade Akinrinmola.
Akinrinmola, who said she was notified of the incident by the traditional ruler of the community, 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 local fishermen.”
On their mission to the river, the council boss said: “We believe that they 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.”
She described the incident as unfortunate, adding that the bodies had been deposited at the mortuary in Ode-Ekiti, headquarters of the council area.
Police Public Relations Officer of Ekiti State Police Command, Mr. Alberto Adeyemi, confirmed the incident.
He said: “They must have come from the Federal Ministry because dams are owned by the Federal Government; their boat capsized, four of them died while three survived.”
Members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly yesterday commiserated with the Federal Government and the World Bank over the death of the four officials.
The Speaker, Hon Kolawole Oluwawole, in a statement by his Media Aide, Stephen Gbadamosi, 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.”
The project, according to a source at the dam is jointly owned by the World Bank and Ekiti State Government.
The state government also commiserated with families of the four deceased.
Commissioner for Public Utilities, Mr. Ayodeji Adesua, in a statement, described the incident as unfortunate.
Adesua, who lauded the World Bank intervention programme in assisting and providing institutional support in the water sector, said the consultants were engaged to carry out a survey and data analysis of the dam in line with the developmental projects and agenda of the state government.
According to him, investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the incident was ongoing.
However, World Bank, in a statement sent by Kabiru Ali Muhammed from its Nigeria Office, denied losing any staff to the mishap.
The Bank stated that “contrary to some reports, no staff members of the World Bank Group were involved in this accident, though we are saddened by this unfortunate event”.
This is even as it expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the drowning tragedy.
The tragedy occurred when a boat conveying seven workers and their equipment capsized.Three of the workers wereb rescued.The deceased areBamidele Waheed Alayande, Tirimisiyu Alaran, David Malu and one Albert.
Those who survived and are receiving treatment in hospital are Charles Ehinlaye, Bukky Ajet and Yahaya Mohammed.
The workers, said to have come from Development Dams and Irrigation Schemes, Kaduna State, were said to have begun their assessment mission to the dam for turnaround maintenance on Tuesday night.
Sources said the bodies of the dead were fished out by local fishermen, who were said to have been mobilised by the chairman of Gbonyin Local Government, Mrs. Folasade Akinrinmola.
Akinrinmola, who said she was notified of the incident by the traditional ruler of the community, 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 local fishermen.”
On their mission to the river, the council boss said: “We believe that they 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.”
She described the incident as unfortunate, adding that the bodies had been deposited at the mortuary in Ode-Ekiti, headquarters of the council area.
Police Public Relations Officer of Ekiti State Police Command, Mr. Alberto Adeyemi, confirmed the incident.
He said: “They must have come from the Federal Ministry because dams are owned by the Federal Government; their boat capsized, four of them died while three survived.”
Members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly yesterday commiserated with the Federal Government and the World Bank over the death of the four officials.
The Speaker, Hon Kolawole Oluwawole, in a statement by his Media Aide, Stephen Gbadamosi, 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.”
The project, according to a source at the dam is jointly owned by the World Bank and Ekiti State Government.
The state government also commiserated with families of the four deceased.
Commissioner for Public Utilities, Mr. Ayodeji Adesua, in a statement, described the incident as unfortunate.
Adesua, who lauded the World Bank intervention programme in assisting and providing institutional support in the water sector, said the consultants were engaged to carry out a survey and data analysis of the dam in line with the developmental projects and agenda of the state government.
According to him, investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the incident was ongoing.
However, World Bank, in a statement sent by Kabiru Ali Muhammed from its Nigeria Office, denied losing any staff to the mishap.
The Bank stated that “contrary to some reports, no staff members of the World Bank Group were involved in this accident, though we are saddened by this unfortunate event”.
This is even as it expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the drowning tragedy.
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