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“When that torrential rainfall pulverized the ground on December 31, 2011 causing pool of water in some low areas of Yenagoa many of us thought it was a sign of good things to come but ten months after we are faced with the worst disaster one could ever imagined. I have seen floods in the last 59 years but they are nothing compared to what we are experiencing today. I have lost all I laboured for in life,” lamented Madam Edaere Thomas, one of the displaced persons at the Bishop Dimieri Grammar School relief camp.
This is certainly not the best of times for indigenes of Bayelsa State many of whom have been forced to flee their homes in the last four weeks and are now taking temporary shelter at tents and relief camps put in place by the state government and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in areas that survived the deluge in Yenagoa and other parts of the state.
While those in the various relief camps could be counted as lucky having roofs over their heads in spite of the widespread complaint of inadequate food supply those who dared the flood by remaining in their submerged homes are now forced to contend with invading reptile especially snakes as well as mosquitoes.
As they go through the motions of daily life, the haunted look in many eyes betray layers of unspoken fears and uncertainty. Many do not even know where to start from again when they return to their abandoned homes. The very poor ones whose homes were mud houses are currently at a loss and are not sure where to go after the flood.
Virtually all of such structures have been washed away by the deluge. Though the state government appropriated N1.5bn to mitigate the suffering of the displaced population caused by the flood there had been widespread complain of neglect and starvation in the various comps due to alleged diversion of relief materials meant for the displaced victims.
A distraught Madam Thomas, a widow and mother of six told Saturday Vanguard philosophically, “I have seen the worst in my life. If anybody had told me of this waiting disaster I would have dismissed it with the wave of the hand. The hardship in this camp is my least worry. Have been sleeping on the bare floor here so that my little children can make do with the mattress I was lucky to secure.”
According to her, “My basic concern is how we will cope after the flood. I depend on the farmland left behind by my husband for our survival. Our mud house back home in the village (Sagbama) is gone and the seedlings I kept aside for the new planting season and our farm implements have been washed away.”
She pleaded with the authorities to come to their aid by assisting them with cash to enable them get a new roof over their head and plant seedlings and farming tools to help them start a new life.
Also another victim at the Samson Siasia Stadium, who gave her name as Izonebi John, told Saturday Vanguard, “we are aware of the fund release by the state government to cater for us. Sadly, the relief materials meant for us are not getting to us. The officials saddled with the responsibility of taking care of us are not doing enough to assuage our plight.”
John Obuh, an indigene of Biseni in Yenagoa local government area said there was no need sulking over an incident he had no control over. “It is clear we have lost everything but our basic concern should be our survival after the flood,” he said.
Flood victims
Preye expressed the hope that the state government would be magnanimous enough to assist them financially to pick up the pieces of their life. He also called on the government to put in place measures to ensure that their children regain lost ground in the school calendar year due to the forced closure of schools in the state. This, the state commissioner for education, Mr. Salo Adikumo said would be address by government allaying the fears of parents.
Pa Okorie, in his early, sixties could not hold back the tears, lamenting. “some days I go without food, how do you expect me to struggle for food with the young ones. I am aware of Governor Dickson’s passion for us but some of his aides are more interested in what they stand to gain from the exercise. His coming to visit us last Saturday has really boosted our morale and brought about significant improvement in the distribution of relief materials at the camp.
Disturbed by the alleged diversion of relief materials meant for the flood victims, Governor Seriake Dickson whose private fish farm was also lost to the ravaging flood not only mandated the state commissioner of police, Mr. Kingsley Omire and the State Director of State Security Services, Andrew Iorkyar to embark on a tour of the various camps for an on the spot assessment of situation but also ordered the immediate reorganization of the food distribution system. The governor also threatened to deal decisively with anybody caught trying to incite flood victims against the government or trying to capitalize on the situation to make money.
Also, he ordered the immediate suspension of Mr. Chinedu Ubah, the Senior Special Assistant on Non Indigenes over his alleged role in the creation of a separate flood relief camp for non indigenes and all that transpired therein, which gave rise to series of complaints and causing unnecessary confusion in the process.
The governor who visited the various camps in the state said his administration was not interested in sharing money to any person after the flood must have receded noting that government post flood plans for the people are geared towards helping them to go back to their various means of livelihood.
“Don’t expect to make money during this crisis, government will not share money after the flood as people will expect and nobody is expected to make gains or engage in business to make money,” he declared.
The role of government, according to him, is to work with the various government agencies and other well meaning organisations to support the people during “this trying period.”
Describing flood as a global phenomenon, the governor disclosed that, aside Bayelsa State, other states of the federation were affected, describing flood as not man made but a natural disaster that can affect any part of the world and enjoined the victims to be contented with the little food and relief materials provided in the camps stressing that government is more concerned about averting any possible outbreak of diseases in the camps.
Governor Dickson who though described the flood as a big setback for his administration and blamed the delay in the execution of his developmental plans on it assured that government was doing everything humanly possible mitigate the suffering of the people and forge ahead with its restoration agenda.
According to him, the construction firms would be mobilised back to sites as soon as the flood recedes. Also, he gave the ministries, departments and agencies handling construction related projects a 2-week ultimatum to complete their documentation.
The governor during the inauguration of a 16-member State Infrastructure Advisory Committee reiterated the readiness of his administration to complete the projects it has embarked upon, and, as well as commencement of new ones.
While calling for the understanding of contractors handling various projects in the state, he said his administration would do everything possible at ensuring that the dateline for the completion of the various projects is met.
He charged them to conduct a baseline study of the entire state and furnish government with statistics on the highest water levels and as well advise government on how to construct and maintain its critical public facilities in the state.
Aware of the topography of the state, the governor said he had since conceptualized the idea of setting up the committee even before assuming office, pointing out that the magnitude of the current flood disaster reinforces its significance.
Expressing confidence in the committee, Hon Dickson enjoined them to look into issues of concessioning, adding that government alone cannot single-handedly build all the state-of-the-art infrastructures it intends to build for the state.
“From time to time we will like to have reports and advice in terms of the priority of our public infrastructure and also in terms of issues that have to do with concessioning because the state does not have the resources on our own to do all the construction that we really need”.
Disturbed by the health hazard associated with the flood, Dickson also directed the state Ministry of Health to deploy all available boat ambulances to riverine areas to enhance the medical services being provided by government.
The governor who gave the directives during an emergency meeting with the political appointees at in Yenagoa explained that effective communication between the appointees and their constituencies will go a long way in assisting government take stock of the immediate needs of the people and proffer solutions.
His words, “We should not leave it for one appointed small committee. The disaster is more than that; so all of you are members of our response team; you are the first line of defence because you are in government. There are people out there who may feel they are not concerned but you can’t afford to be so because you share the burden of service with me.”
Dickson noted that government was working hard to assuage the pains of the people and urged the health ministry and sub-committee in charge of health to redouble their efforts at sensitizing the people on basic hygiene to prevent the possible outbreak of epidemic such as cholera and other water- borne diseases.
He said, “Because if we are not careful the epidemic that will come will finish all our population particularly the vulnerable people: children, woman, old people and then the physically challenged.”
“Government is to commence massive rebuilding of critical infrastructures such as roads and bridges that have been destroyed as soon as the flood waters recede,” he assured.
SOURCE: 27 October 2012.
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