A Rotten Deal

Efionayi Iyayi, chairman, Iyayi Group of Companies.

The discovery of a large cache of rotten fish sets a community in Edo State on the edge, with strange ailment afflicting the people
By Walid Ogunseri, Benin City
There are strong indications that an epidemic outbreak the form of a strange stomach disease may have forced the over 300 inhabitants of Okhoro community to relocate following the toxic stench emanating from a rotten fish dump at Iyayi Cold Store along Okhoro Road, Egor Local Government Area of Edo State.
Besides, in the past 20 years, the people and residential buildings in Okhoro community have suffered untold hardship of eye blindness and structural defects because of the neglect and insensitivity of Iyayi Group of Companies, a firm that has been operating its timber/sawmill and cold store businesses in the area.
A dependable source close to the toxic fish dump who did not want his name in print said that the fish was imported by an Indian firm, Stallion Seafood Ltd., situated along Textile Mill Road, Benin City, and kept under the management of Iyayi Cold Store where the fish got bad due to an alleged malfunction of the cold store owing to poor equipment. The source stated that the management of Iyayi may have done that to punish members of the host community (Okhoro) who was believed to have orchestrated the relocation of the prestigious Iyayi Timber Company to Egba Town, Uhunmwonde Local Government Area of Edo State, home town of its chairman/managing director, Chief Efionayi Iyayi some years ago.
Narrating a tale of woes to The Source on behalf of the community, Efe Stalwart, a member of the community and Vice President of Edo Youth Coalition (EYC), explained that about two months ago when the deadly toxic stench which emanated from Iyayi’s cold room was first noticed, the community intimated the operators of the company who promised to evacuate the rotten fish within two weeks. But up till now, nothing has been done. Rather, he alleged that officials of the company were secretly selling the deadly fish to unsuspecting consumers, adding that Iyayi rather fingered the Indians as those to bear responsibility for all the problems associated with the fish.
When the offensive smell became unbearable and was causing unimaginable losses and incalculable damage to the community in terms of health and other social-economic aspects, representatives of the youths in the community decided to embark on a fact-finding mission to Stallion Seafood situated inside the premises of Primlax Nig. Ltd. along Textile Mill Road in the state capital.
According to one of them, Stallions boss, an Indian named Vivet Pange, said that his company had no business with what is going on at Iyayi, contending that when the fish got spoilt, the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Ministry of Health were invited, and they subsequently ordered the burial of the fish, pointing out that his company had since settled Iyayi for that.
The Source learnt that based on this piece of information, Okhoro youths resorted to a peaceful demonstration to Iyayi premises where they forcibly took some of the toxic fish in a wheel barrow, which they conveyed to Okhoro Police station. Upon lodging an official complaint, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), who was said to have visited the factory to access the situation, promised the youths that he would compel the owners to evacuate the deadly fish from the area.
Surprisingly, stalwart said, as a result of the demonstration, the existing communication and relationship between the community and Iyayi broke down completely as one of Iyayi’s sons directly in charge of the toxic matter, brought in Benin City Policemen from the Police headquarters, and arrested some of the youths for an alleged assault on his workers during their demonstration.
The community’s spokesman appealed to the State and Federal Governments to intervene in the matter as many residents have reportedly fled the area, following noticeable health problems and reduction in business patronage and economic activities in the area; he also called for adequate compensation for all their losses occasioned by the inordinate action of those who perpetrated the hazardous act.
Another resident of Okhoro community, a housewife, Madam Mary Irhorere, lamenting the pains members of the community have experienced since the saga begansaid, “we felt very bad, in that the offensive odour coming out from the rotten fish has been on for the past two months. The smell has been causing us sleepless nights. When the toxic smell continued unabated, I paid several visits to the Iyayi compound to complain, they said they were trying to cake the fish to stop the smell before burying it. I believed that failed and till date the smell is still on.
“Healthwise, it is very bad and our health is failing everyday and many people have fled the area. I was told health officials have come but they did not see us. Only God can save us,” Irhorere said.
When contacted for comments, the Management of Iyayi could not be reached as they were said to be holding a meeting outside the area, but the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Stallion Seafood, Pange, narrating his present predicament said his company may have lost over N50million in the business, adding that for over five years his company has been doing business with Iyayi, nobody knew of it, as there has never been any problem as everything has been going on smoothly, pointing out that this problem occurred due to lack of maintenance of the Cold Store of Iyayi Seafood where his company stored some of the fish.
Pange stated that upon every importation of fish, where his company’s cold store can not accommodate the entire volume of fish imported, it enters into a five million naira monthly rentage agreement with Iyayi Seafood to store their fish. According to him, when the present stock of fish arrived Iyayi some months ago, the products were certified fit for consumption. But when the problem first reared its head, “I was told it was lack of diesel to power the power plants at the Iyayi Cold Store, and I made some money available to buy diesel, only to discover later that Iyayi’s management as unable to maintain its cold store.
“You see, when their generators of 500kva and 250kva could not function, some of my fishes, not all, were destroyed and NAFDAC and Ministry of Health came and they advised that the fishes be buried. If you go there, ask, you will find out that I paid N100,000 to Iyayi people for each hole dug within the Iyayi premises for the burial of the rotten fish”.
The Source’s investigations reveal that the deadly stench emanating from the factory started about two months ago and officials of the state’s Ministry of Environment and NAFDAC were invited and they ordered the company to bury the said consignment but this advice was not adhered to by those concerned.
When newsmen visited the factory, one of Iyayi’s sons simply addressed as Larry, seized a photo-journalist’s camera and carted away other valuables.
The residents of Okhoro community observe that the factory has been converted to a dump site, as tippers are said to be taking the deadly consignment on a daily basis with about four 911 lorries all waiting to ferry them to the Eastern part of the country during the night.
Meanwhile, commercial activities have been grounded in the area as food vendors, provision stores and beer parlours have all closed shop because of the strange flies emanating from the factory.
Besides, some of the fishes were also dumped at theTemboga area along Ikpoba River, thereby polluting the only source of drinking water for over 200 communities around the course of the river.
Information from the area indicate that the polluted river may have been the source of the hues and cries over a strange stomach ailment that is now ravaging the people living around the river.