Cash crops and aquatic lives worth N3 billion have been destroyed in the Obiakopu Community farmland of Ohaji/Egbema council area of Imo State
The devastation of the community was caused by the laying of pipelines by the multi-billion-naira oil companies, Sterling Global Company, operating in the area.
Our correspondent gathered that the Sterling Global Oil Company currently laying oil pipe in the area broke a river bank in neighbouring Egbema, thereby causing the river to overflow to its banks with farmlands in the area.
Lamenting the losses, a vegetable farmer in the area, Mrs. Agnes Ikwuegbu, said that the marine flood had submerged her farmland, where she planted 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 a thing before. So when I saw this last Thursday, I was shocked.”.
The farmer described the flooding as an unusual occurrence, just as she later found out that Sterling Global Oil Company, operating in the area, was laying out pipelines around the river channels.
According to her, she had nothing to do but farm, and the incident meant that she had lost her means of livelihood and income.
The mother of four, however, unveiled that she borrowed some money to invest in the farmland, a loan she was expected to repay after harvest.
Ikwuegbu stressed that with the present situation, she would not be able to repay the loan, let alone feed her family.
Another farmer, Mr. Ikechukwu Osuji, stated that he would be losing close to N40 million of his annual income from farming cucumbers.
Osuji claimed that he harvests 20 bags of cucumbers, which he usually sells at the rate of N20,000 per bag, pointing out that he had been weakened by the destruction caused by the flood on his farmland.
Adding his voice, Jude Isikogu said that their family fishpond had been dislodged.
Isikogu stated that they usually harvest fish in the said pond every five years, having been owned by the family.
He said, “I regret that they (the family) 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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