Flood: Diri Recounts Losses as Humanitarian Affairs Minister Visits Bayelsa

•Group lauds NDDC, Umana, for fixing damaged East-West road

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa and Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri yesterday received the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Mrs. Sadiya Umar Farouq, restating his call for effective support from the federal government and well-meaning individuals and organisations to the state over the recent flood disaster.

Receiving the minister and members of her entourage during a courtesy call in government House, Yenagoa, Diri said the visit to the state was long expected, especially when the flood was at its peak.

The governor, who spoke through the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, pointed out that initially the government and people of Bayelsa State were not pleased with some remarks credited to the minister about the flood disaster in the state that Bayelsa was not among the 10 worst affected states in the country.

Diri said the flood rose to over 4.5 metres above its normal level and caused unprecedented devastation, hence the news that Bayelsa was not among the worst-hit states was unsettling and worrisome to its people.

The Bayelsa governor who thanked the federal government for the relief materials it had sent to the state so far through the Ministry, however, pointed out that some of the relief items reportedly sent to the state were not officially channelled through the state government to the flood victims.

He also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for including Bayelsa as a member of the National Flood Relief Committee and expressed belief that the state would get her fair share from the federal government’s post-flood relief measures.

He said: “We are happy and elated that you have finally visited to commiserate with us. The flooding disaster is actually nobody’s fault but it is an issue of climate change.

“For record purposes our meteorological department in the Surveyor General Office and Ministry of Environment monitored the flood and from records available it showed that the flood rose by 4.26 metres.

 “And that is why, for the first time almost the entire state was submerged in water. The NEMA South-South representative can attest to the level of damage caused by the flood this year.

“I also want to use this opportunity to thank the federal government for setting up a relief emergency committee and we are going to make suggestions that will ensure immediate relief for our farmers, fishermen and also cater for citizens’ health challenges arising from the flood.”

Earlier in her remarks, Farouq, said she and her team were in the state to empathise with the government and people of Bayelsa State over the devastating 2022 flood, which impacted negatively on the state.

Farouq who commended the efforts of the Bayelsa State government in providing support for the flood victims, disclosed that part of her visit to the state was also to rollout her ministry’s economic empowerment packages for beneficiaries from Bayelsa.

The Minister also disclosed that the National Home Grown School Feeding scheme which commenced since 2016, would be introduced in Bayelsa this year, and called on the state government to create an enabling environment for the scheme to succeed in the state.

Meanwhile, a group, the Niger Delta Accountability for Progress (NDAP) has lauded the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana Okon Umana for carrying out palliative work on sections of the East-West road destroyed by flood.

The Convener of the group, Charles Ogbado recalled that the damaged road particularly dealt a deadly blow on Bayelsa State, which was cut off from its neighbours and led to massive humanitarian crisis as no vehicle from either Delta or Rivers State could access the state.

The NDAP observed that the immediate intervention by the NDDC to repair the road and facilitate movement was an indication that the new leadership of the commission led by the acting Managing Director, Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavboru understood the mandate of the commission as an interventionist agency.

Ogbado who spoke yesterday, further observed that the terrible condition of the road dislocated the entire Niger Delta and frustrated free-flow of commercial, social and cultural activities even after the flood.

He applauded Umana, for his firm and transparent leadership, which he said had reflected in the positive change of attitude in NDDC.

Ogbado commended the NDDC boss for paying all accumulated salary arrears owed some category of workers and establishing a cordial relationship between employees and the management of the commission to allow peaceful and cordial work environment.