The residents saw it coming and raised alarm that the state government should come to their aids by fixing the broken down and highly dilapidated Iwofe Road. This call was ignored and today the entire community is in painful and mournful mood over the death of over 35 residents of the area.
For the sleepy Mbodaya community in Rivers State, Tuesday, December 13 was like every other day. But the death of 35 of its citizens in boat mishap at about 9.45 p.m has thrown the entire community into mourning.  A wooden boat travelling on the 150 metres wide river between Iwofe and main Port Harcourt, had capsised dragging several commuters into unexpected beyond.
About 28 lifeless bodies were recovered by community divers and volunteers. As at the time of filling this report, the boat belonging to the Nigerian Navy was among community volunteers making frantic efforts to rescue the victims. Relations of missing persons had besieged the artificial jetty to make enquiries or check among the corpses recovered by divers. Many used the short cut to make daily trips to Port Harcourt. It was shorter and cheap compared to traveling by road; as the same journey by road would mean going through the dilapidated Iwofe/Rumuolumeni/Ada George Road noted for difficult traffic situation. By night on Wednesday, gloom still pervaded the area with more bodies being recovered.
An eye witness said the incident happened at about 9.45 pm Tuesday, when a shrill short jolted the Mbodaya hamlet of the Rumuolumeni axis. The residents were to later understand the development, just as distress calls were put across while concerned residents had come from the side of the river connecting Eagle Island and the Rivers State University of Science and Technology. The eye witness said when the boat capsised, uncountable number of passengers fell into the river just as goods being transported were equally lost in the incident.
The Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC had mobilised their men to lend helping hands. The darkness of the night was not a barrier to those of the casualties who could swim, as they swam to the safe embrace of the dry shore, leaving others to battle for their lives. Not many were that lucky.
This magazine gathered that the capsised boat belonged to the community and had load of 46 capacity passengers. But in most cases as was the case that night, it was over loaded with human beings and goods. It was further learnt that those who had boarded the boat earlier that day had complained to deck men that it was no longer safe for them to continue the journey. Two persons were said to have started bailing water from the boat as soon as it had launched out.
This magazine also gathered that additional six passengers who were standing had made up the overweight as each seat was cramped with passengers. Six bags of rice, tubers of yam, bunches of plantain and other households were also loaded on its floor.
One of the victims of the mishap was a medical doctor who died hours after he was rescued. The circumstances surrounding his last hours were sketchy by press time, but it was learnt he had been part of the first set of victims rescued same night. His wife was said to be running a hospital in the Iwofe.
It was gathered that when he was rescued attempts to ferry him to the wife’s clinic were rebuffed by him. He was said to have told the men to take him to a mosque. It was on the way that he died. 
Rumelumeni/Iwofe residents have been on the neck of Rivers State government to fix the Rumelumeni road. That road is the only road that links more than 2000 residents of the community to Port Harcourt and the rest of the state. Another alternative route is the Akpor River which majority of the residents used because it is faster and quicker. Two years ago, the only bridge linking the road collapsed. The community shouted hues and cries but their cry could not elicit the listening ears of the state government. Nigerian Agip, an Italian oil firm located in the area came to their rescue and rebuilt the bridge. The state of the road was terrible even though the state government claimed it had awarded contract for its renovation. The contractor was mobilised to site early last year but did a very shoddy job, which worsened the state of the road. The state government could not even deem it feet to provide speed boat that could serve as an alternative means of transport, as the community had few wooden boats which are over loaded on a daily basis.
Governor Chibuike Amaechi had to cut short his trip to the United States of America to commiserate with the families of the mishap. The governor, who had earlier sent his commissioner for health, Dr Sampson Parker to the community, promised to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the unfortunate incident as to avert future re-occurrences. 
Nyenweli of Rumuolumeni, Eze Ndubueze Wobo Olumeni appealed to both the Rivers State government and Obio Akpor Local Government Council to think of remedial solutions for the people in the area. The traditional ruler also called on the government to provide speed boats that would assist in the transportation of residents pending government‘s decision on the matter. “We want government to provide speed boats that will transport people across Elechi beach, so that the incident will not occur again.’’ 

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