Nzerem writhing in pains.

A poorly constructed fence erected at the Anglican Primary School 1, Ayetoro-Ajegunle, Lagos, by a Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) contractor has collapsed on one Ogochukwu Nzerem.

The incident led to the 21-year-old sustaining a compound fracture on her left shinbone, and minor wounds on her hands and head.

Narrating her experience, Nzerem, who was returning home after the day’s business, said a section of the school fence fell on her as she walked on the footpath, which leads to her house.

After the incident, she was rushed to a trado-orthopaedic home where she has been receiving treatment.

The incident was, thereafter reported at Ajeromi Ifelodun Police Station, where it was agreed that the contractor should foot the bills for the treatment.

The contractor, Oyin Odesanya, who also visited the lady and promised to comply, collected the account number of the caregiver but has not made any financial commitment as of yesterday.

When newsmen visited the scene of the incident, there were two other sections of the uncompleted that have completed, or partially collapsed. The section of the fence that is partially collapsed, is held back by an electric pole, while there is no cement grout cast on the grouted joints of the fence.

Commenting on the incident, the Central Chairman, School-Based Management Committee (SBMC), Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Council, Mr. Ismail Ashiru, said that before the incident happened, he drew the attention of the contractor to the looming danger because of the way the fence was poorly constructed.

According to him, apart from the fact that the fence is very high, there is no single cement grout cast on the grouted joints.

Ashiru said on seeing this, he drew the attention of the contractor to his observation, but he was dismissed as a novice.

He added that if pupils were in school, more casualties would probably have been recorded.

A resident of the area, Akin Okeowo, stated that the contractor has been very arrogant when approached on such issues, revealing that when the project started, a truck that brought sharp sand to the site damaged an electric pole by the school, which led to the community being without electricity for almost a month.

Okeowo said when the contractor was informed about the development, she was unperturbed asking the residents not to bother her, but reach out to the truck driver.

When newsmen contacted the contractor to respond to some of the allegations leveled against her, she said the matter had been reported at the police station.

She asked the reporter to go to the police station for comments and ended abruptly. After repeated calls, her phone number was not reachable.

The Public Affairs Officer of SUBEB, Mrs. Enitan Adewunmi, admitted that the agency was aware of the development, adding that its project department had visited the scene, and would soon submit a report to the chairman.

When asked why the fence has been in the state for about a month, especially with its height, Adewunmi said that it was the norm for the cement grout cast not to be done immediately.