Over five hundred fish farmers at Eriwe farm village in Ijebu-Ode have appealed to Ogun state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, the federal government and well meaning Nigerians to urgently come to their aid following the washing away of their fish worth over N300million.
The affected farmers under the aegis of Catfish and Allied Farmers Association of Nigeria stated that the heavy downpour witnessed in Ijebu-Ode and its environs Sunday, July 29 washed away many ready to harvest and mature fishes as well as those still being nurtured to maturity.
One of the farmers intended to sell his fish Monday, July 30 and he had invited customers to come and buy. But he lost all the fishes to the flood.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Sunday Talabi and Oluniyi Olukoga noted that though, flooding was a recurring event at the farm village, but the latest occurrence was the worst ever recorded.
He said when such occur, they do inform the authority of the farm settlement that only come to take pictures of the damage done and sympathises with them without rendering any assistance to mitigate their sufferings.
Talabi said, “This latest incident is the worst ever experienced in the history of the over 20 years farm village and the loss is heavy and colossal.”
Chairman of the Ogun State chapter of the Catfish and Allied Farmers Association of Nigeria, Sunday Isoma lamented, “places that are usually not being affected in the village were all swept away while investment of many farmers were being taken away by the ravaging flood”.
