- Matuuci Farms Ltd.’s owner, Dr. Patrick Sule-Ugboma, discloses the shutdown and guides journalists
- Approximately 400 workers directed to stop work due to flood impact
- Farm spans 20 hectares and suffers significant financial losses
An advanced agricultural facility valued at millions of naira, situated in the Agbobo Umuoga Ossomala Community within Anambra State’s Ogbaru Local Government Area, has ceased its operations due to severe flooding.
This calamity led to the unfortunate demise of over 25,000 poultry birds within the farm’s poultry section and also caused significant damage to fish, potatoes, and other crops. Dr. Patrick Sule-Ugboma, the owner of Matuuci Farms Ltd., shared this information on Wednesday as he guided journalists through the premises.
The flood’s impact has been so severe that approximately 400 workers have been instructed to halt their activities. Notably, the farm, spanning 20 hectares, has suffered substantial financial losses due to this flooding catastrophe. It’s worth mentioning that the Ogbaru communities, positioned along the River Niger coastline, frequently contend with flooding issues.
“We have lost more than 25,000 poultry birds, fish in our ponds worth several millions of naira, and numerous other property worth several millions of naira,” he said.
According to Sule-Ugboma, the flood has equally affected some bridges on Onitsha-Ndoni Road, especially Umunnakwo Bridge.
NAN reports that the collapse of the same Umunnakwo Bridge in 2022 resulted in a boat mishap that claimed some lives.
“I am calling on Governor Charles Soludo to look into the plight of our people, especially with flooding hitting Ogbaru communities again.
“I also call on the Niger Delta Development Commission to consider the reconstruction of the Onitsha-Ndoni Road,” Sule-Ugboma said.
Meanwhile, residents of Uda Layout in Asaba, the Delta State capital, on Wednesday, appealed to the state government to come to their aid in addressing the perennial flooding in the area.
Speaking on behalf of the residents, a landlord in the area, Mr Chuka Nwabuokei, lamented that they had been living with the problem for over 15 years without a solution.
He said, “Over 15 years, the Uda layout in Asaba community has been suffering from perennial flooding. Any time it rains, we are not comfortable.
“Property worth millions of naira has been destroyed, access to our houses in the area was extremely difficult whenever it rained.”
He appealed to the state Ministry of Works to deploy experts to the area for proper surveys and to fix the problem.