Eko Hot Blog reports that Flood, attributed to pipeline installation by oil companies, has inflicted significant damage on Obiakpu community in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State.
It was gathered from reliable sources in South East that cash crops and aquatic livestock worth about N3 billion were destroyed by the flood.
The information gathered by correspondent revealed that Sterling Global Oil Company currently laying oil pipe in the area broke a river bank in neighboring Egbema, thereby causing the river to overflow its banks, washing away farmlands in the area.
Agnes Ikwuegbu, a vegetable farmer in the affected area, reported that her farmland had been submerged by the flood, where she cultivated vegetables.
She said, “The flood in the month of March is surprising to me, because since I started farming on this farmland, I have never experienced such before. So, when I saw this last week Thursday, I was shocked.”
The farmer described the flooding as an unusual occurrence, just as she added she later found out that Sterling Global Oil Company operating in the area was laying out pipeline around the river channels.
The mother of four, she revealed that she had borrowed money to invest in the farmland, expecting to repay the loan after the harvest.
However, given the current situation, she emphasized that she would struggle to repay the loan, let alone provide food for her family.
In a related development, Mr. Ikechukwu Osuji, another affected individual, revealed that he anticipates a loss of nearly N40 million, equivalent to his annual earnings from cultivating cucumbers.
Osuji stated that he gathers 20 bags of cucumbers, typically selling each bag for N20,000, and highlighted the impact of flood damage on his farm, which has weakened him.
Adding his voice, another victim, Jude Isikogu, said that his family fishpond had been dislodged.
Isikogu stated that they usually harvest fish in the said pond every five years.
He said, “I regret that we are expecting to harvest fish from the pond this year, only for a man-made flood disaster to devastate the pond.”
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