Flood victims sell soaked foodstuffs at giveaway prices in Rivers - The Guardian Nigeria News

Residents patronising makeshift canoe at N2,000 per person.

Residents patronising makeshift canoe at N2,000 per person.

As flooding continues to ravage parts of Rivers State, submerging homes, businesses and markets, some affected traders have resorted to selling foodstuffs salvaged from floodwaters at heavily reduced prices, attracting residents struggling to feed their families.

Monitoring by The Guardian at Rumuokoro Market and markets around Rumuokpoku, Eneka and Okilton in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, between noon and 1:00 p.m. yesterday, showed heaps of foodstuffs retrieved from floodwaters being spread out in the open to dry before being offered for sale.

The items included rice, beans, garri and yam, among others.

A bucket of rice that ordinarily sells for about N6,000 was being offered for as little as N1,000, while a bag reportedly worth about N50,000 was being sold for N10,000.

Similarly, soaked tubers of yam, which normally sell for about N5,000, were being offered for N1,000. Bags of beans and garri retrieved from floodwaters were also spread out in the sun before being displayed for sale.

Despite concerns about possible contamination, some residents, particularly low-income earners and petty food vendors, were seen buying the foodstuffs.

One of the buyers, Mrs Jane Baride, said the harsh economic situation had left her with little choice.

“I will wash the rice very well. It is better to eat this and live than to die of hunger. My children and I have not eaten anything for days,” she said.

Another buyer, who identified herself simply as Mama Emma, said she bought a bag of rice for use in her food business. “I will wash the rice with hot water.

However, a family physician, Dr Donald Igali, warned residents against consuming food that had come into contact with floodwater, saying washing or cooking may not eliminate all health risks.

Igali said food exposed to contaminated floodwater could harbour disease-causing organisms capable of causing serious gastrointestinal and other infections.

The flooding also created opportunities for some residents to make quick money by providing evacuation services.

At Rumuekini community in Obio/Akpor, residents constructed makeshift canoes to evacuate people from flooded areas, charging about N2,000 per trip.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government has approved the temporary relocation of students and staff of Community Secondary School, Rumuapara, to State Primary School, Nkpolu, Rumuigbo, Obio/Akpor, following severe flooding at the school.

The Commissioner for Education, Dr Peters Nwagor, approved a relocation with effect from yesterday, saying the decision was necessary to protect students and staff as floodwaters had taken over the school premises.

The government said the Rivers State Flood Prevention and Management Committee had earlier visited the school to assess the situation and was working to identify the causes of the flooding and develop lasting solutions.

A statement by the Head of Information and Public Relations, Ministry of Education, Tochi Abinye Pepple, said immediate, medium- and long-term measures were being considered to address the problem.

The government also assured residents that it remained committed to the safety and welfare of students and would ensure continuity of learning despite the flooding.

Residents have continued to criticise what they described as a reactive approach to flood management in the state. They recalled that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and other relevant agencies had issued flood warnings earlier in the year, but alleged that adequate preventive measures were not taken.

Some residents also linked the worsening flooding to ongoing sand-filling activities in parts of the state, including the Army Bori Camp area of Port Harcourt, which they alleged had altered natural drainage channels.

A bus conductor, Ninabari Promise, said the situation around Bori Camp required urgent attention. “The government has turned a blind eye to it. That alone has contributed to the heavy flooding,” he alleged.