FLOOD: IBADAN POLY BEGINS STAFF, STUDENTS AUDIT

Following reported cases of missing persons and alleged deaths of some of its students in the fatal deluge that swept through Ibadan last weekend, authorities of the Polytechnic, Ibadan have begun an audit of the staff and students population.

Three students of the polytechnic were reportedly drowned in the flood that wreaked havoc in Apete, a community on the outskirts of the metropolis, mainly populated by students and staff of the institution, which was not spared in the calamity. The census is coming as members of the polytechnic community, a neighbour of the University of Ibadan, which reported loss of property allegedly worth N10 billion to the disaster, also took count of damages, occasioned by the unprecedented deluge.

Daily Sun which visited the campus on Tuesday discovered that the whirlwind that accompanied the storm tore off the rooftops of some buildings including hostels, the registry and auditorium, particularly at the North campus.

Property including vehicles were also damaged.
The polytechnic's Public Relations Officer (PRO), Alhaji Soladoye Adewole, reacting to inquiry about the identities of the alleged victims of the flood, told Daily Sun that the polytechnic could not yet confirm if they were indeed its students.

'We have not been able to establish that. Yes, we also heard that some of our students were involved. But, nobody has come forward yet to report the death of any student or missing persons to us. 'We have, however, in the light of the news and tragedy which affected Apete, an area where many of our students live, commenced an audit of our staff and students to determine the true situation of things and we hope to resume the exercise Today,' Adewole said.

He explained that the audit would take place on departmental basis and a head count of residents of the hostels.

Meanwhile, members of the polytechnic community, especially in the staff residential quarters, woke to the challenges of clearing and rehabilitating the environment and property devastated by the rainstorm early this week.

A senior administrative official in the registry department and the President of the Senior Staff Club, Mr. Tayo Odejobi, had the windscreen of his Mercedes Benz car smashed where it was parked in front of his department when branches of a tree fell on it.

Also affected was a vehicle owned by the Head of the institution's registry at the Saki campus, Mr. Gbenga Adejumo. The rampaging typhoon also felled some trees, which blocked some streets on the campus, preventing access to or exit from some of the staff quarters.

The trees were, however, being cleared as at yesterday.