…Charges Them To Take Precautions
By Christy Aboghe
In a bid to mitigate the effect of flooding in Delta State, the Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Chief Godspower Asiuwhu has advised fish farmers to be prepared for flooding.
Asiuwhu gave the advise during a town hall meeting with Camp 74 Fish Farmers, Dennis Osadebay Cluster fish farmers and Akapko Fish farmers on the sensitisation of flood prone communities on the prevention and management of flood disaster in Asaba.
He urged them to help by clearing the block drainage so as to allow easy flow of water and protect their fishes from effect the flood.
Forecasting flood in the state, he urged them to relocate if it becomes overwhelming so as not to be affected.
While sympathizing with those who loss their fishes as a result of the challenges they face in the farm, he assured them of the state government support in ensuring a permanent solution to their plights.
The Commissioner commended the farmers for their cooperation in ensuring that food was made available to Deltans despite their difficulty in business.
In the same vein the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Mrs Minnie Oseji, sympathized with the affected fish farmers over their loss.
Oseji encouraged them to send a written information of their challenges and expectation to the Ministry who would in turn help communicate their demands to the governor.
She assured them of intervention that would help curb the anomaly and bring the long protracted challenges to an end.
On his part, the Chairman of Camp 74 Fish Farm, Pst Diyen Friday lamented on the challenges of the farm, adding that it was a long time problem which farmers had been experiencing.
Diyen said lack of water as a result of the constant dredging had lead to low production of fishes and also reduced the number of fish farmers.
He said as a result of the challenges, the no of fish farmers reduced and that affected their production.
The Chairman, said in controlling flood in previous times they had end up using poor materials which turns out to be unfavourable to the farmers.
He noted that one of the threat to their unity, was the constant collection of money from the farmers for supply.…ing water to the various ponds, which many of the farmers are not comfortable with and if the challenge is not resolved could affect their membership strength and increase cost of their production.
Speaking, Head of Dennis Osadebay Cluster fish farm, Mr Loveday Takim said he was hopeful that with the Intervention of the governor through the Ministry, their plight would come to an end.
Some of the fish farmers who spoke , Mrs Akaeze Onyinye from Akapo fish Farm, said their challenge was the loss of fishes which had affected their business, while Uche Ossai said it makes it difficult for them to access their farm to feed their fishes and resulted in poor harvest and loss of money.
Speaking the Chairman of Akapko Fish Farm, Mr Nwamana Joseph appealed to the state government to come to their aid as they could not produce more fishes despite all effort to control the flood.
Nwamana said with the coming flood, many of them were already going out of business as they have experience so much loss.
He said prior to the time they cage their farm with iron net, during the flood and that some of them have gone out of business till after the flooding.
While intimating the Commissioner of their challenges in business, the head of water rehabilitation committee, Mr Sunny Governor said they hardly get the expected result of their fishes as a result their losses.
Mr Sunny appealed that the engineer help channel water to the ponds, adding that if it was entering there would not be pollution.
