…HYPREP seals off facility, begins investigation
The massive ground-level water reservoir built by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) at Obolo, Ebubu, ruptured on Saturday, unleashing a torrent of water that swept through nearby homes and institutions, destroying buildings, property and livelihoods.
The waterworks, inaugurated about a year ago to supply potable water to the Ebubu community as part of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)–recommended cleanup of Ogoniland, burst around 10 a.m. shortly after workers reportedly turned on the pumps and left the facility.
It was the second time in a few weeks that a HYPREP water reservoir was collapsing. The last time was in Gwara in Khana Local Government Area where an overhead water reservoir collapsed four days after it was inaugurated.
Victims who spoke to National Point said the reservoir failed about an hour after the pumps were activated. By then, no staff of the water station could be found.
Mrs. Felicia Waribugo, owner of one of the worst-hit compounds behind the waterworks, said the flood submerged her entire premises, soaking all household items and collapsing major sections of her perimeter fence and internal walls.
“We ran to the station to call the workers to switch off the pump, but there was nobody. Before I knew it, water had filled my house. Everything is destroyed,” she said.
She appealed to government, HYPREP and philanthropists for urgent support, saying she and her tenants now have nowhere to stay.
At Obarijima Primary School, the Director, Rev. Peter John Osarobele, lamented extensive damage to school infrastructure and materials.
“Books, computers, files—everything was destroyed. Several walls have collapsed and the sewage system is gone,” he told National Point.
With examinations scheduled to begin on Monday, he expressed uncertainty over how to proceed and said the school would await HYPREP’s intervention.
Mrs. Nonye Ezeani, an Aba-based trader who stored bales of first-grade clothing in the school’s storeroom with permission, said all her goods were destroyed. She estimated her loss at N2.3 million.
Mr. John Umanah, a 31-year-old employee of Daewoo Nigeria Limited, said he lost all his belongings in his self-contained apartment.
“When I tried to retrieve my property, the water pushed me down. I injured my ankle and lost my certificates and credentials,” he said. He put his losses at N1.3 million.
Another resident, Mr. Abel Chunwafor, who lived on the school premises, also lost personal property, including his motorcycle.
Dr. Enuolare Mba-Nwigoh, Head of Communications at HYPREP, confirmed the incident and said a team had been dispatched to assess the damage and mitigate the impact on the community.
In a statement issued later, Mba-Nwigoh expressed concern over the reservoir failure. The incident follows the collapse of another HYPREP-commissioned overhead tank in Gwara, Khana Local Government Area, barely four days after its inauguration last month.
He said the project had now barred non-project personnel from accessing its water facilities “to forestall interference,” and reiterated HYPREP’s commitment to delivering a sustainable cleanup in Ogoniland despite the setbacks.
