Taking Stock as Flood Recedes in Bayelsa

As the floods recedes in Bayelsa State, it’s been stock taking time for residents even as the government set up a post-flood committee to collate damage estimates. 

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa reports that an oil company also recently provided succor for effected communities 

As many Bayelsans gradually begin their journey back to their homes and communities after over a month of the rampaging and devastating flood wrecked havoc in the state, many of them have begun to count their losses.

With billions of naira lost  especially with many farmlands swept away and livestock farmers including those who are in poultry and fishing businesses submerged in flood, expert says it will take billions of naira to repair the damages left by the now receding flood.

With over a 100 deaths recorded and  over one million victims seriously affected according to a data by the Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency (BYSEMA), these damages done on individuals and government made Bayelsa State the worst hit with over billions of Naira lost in properties and infrastructure.

From the two entry points at the boundaries with Delta and Rivers states to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to Forcados River, River Nun and the Taylor Creek, the destruction caused by the floods forced many to flee their homes and communities making them Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

Yenagoa, the state capital, the whole of Ogbia, Southern Ijaw, Sagbama, Kolokuma/Opokuma were all submerged, while parts of Nembe and Brass councils suffered same fate.

The state SEMA officials put the total number of persons affected at 1,344,014, and communities destroyed at over 300, with the attendant hardship as prices of commodities, especially food, skyrocketed.

The East-West road connecting over six states in the Niger Delta region was submerged with many passengers stranded, making it difficult to reach Bayelsa State. It led to shortage of essential commodities like food, gas, fuel, and meat, usually supplied from the Delta and Rivers end of the road.

Roads leading to the state- owned  university, Niger Delta University, Amassoma in Southern Ijaw Local Government and that of the  Federal University, Otueke were cut off, making the universities only accessible through rivers, which had also overflown its banks.

Similarly, the University Teaching Hospital at Okolobiri, shut down services as the flood sacked both the workers and the patients.

The spreadsheet by the agency showed 96 deaths, with Yenagoa Council posting the highest fatality figure.

Confirming the figures, BYSEMA Chairman, Walamam Igrubia, who said collation of data from the field were still ongoing, said farmlands, school buildings, health structures and other facilities were also affected.

A poultry farmer, Mr. Chukwudi Onyechefule, said he invested over N1m in the business in December 2021 and had 1,000 fully matured birds before the flood swept them away.

He said: “The onei that are alive are few and sold between N3,000 and N5,000,” lamenting that he would have sold each of the chicken between N10,000 and N12,000 in December.

A widow from the Ikarama community, Theresa Godfrey, who took our correspondent around her farms and properties damaged by the flood, said she lost over N3 million to the flood which swept away everything she labored for including her farm and livestock.

She called on the IOCs and the government to come to the rescue of the community and help them with farm implements and seedlings as the flood ravaged everything they had including seedlings and plantain suckers which they can use to start all over again.

According to the state Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Hon. Ayiba Duba, the level of flooding this year was more than any year the state can recall, as the entire state was under water. 

He said though the state government cannot immediately put a figure in monetary terms what was lost, he stated that what the government is doing right now is to set up  a committee, the Post-flood Management Committee.

Headed by the Deputy Governor, he said the committee will collate, identify the infrastructure that is damaged, collapsed and aggregate everything and sum it up to what cost implication each and every one of those projects is worth.

He said, “I am aware that the committees have already been  sub-divided into other technical committees where professionals of the rehabilitation  committee will join hands with others. They have engineers, quantity surveyors, civil engineers, electrical engineers. 

“All the nine ministries are part of that committee, because  everything we are trying to do is to have a holistic view of the destructions, so that they will come up with the cost of what we are losing and what it will take use to reconstruct, rehabilitate the damaged infrastructure; that’s what we are doing.

“The food security committee will try to access what level of damage and what level of assistance we can render to our farmers and that one too we are collating the cost implications.

“You will recall that this situation is not just those who were in the camps that are affected. What I have just told you is a state wide thing. If you are a farmer and the food security committee is looking at what farmers would need, whatever the committee comes out with and its agreed by government it will affect everybody. 

“The camps were for those who couldn’t go back to their houses during the flood because the flood has taken over their houses. So government has provided a place for them to stay within that period. There were more persons who were outside of the camps than  those who were in the camps.

“You also know there are a lot of persons who couldn’t come from the villages. They were managing in places where they could have a little space to put their heads together, put their heads for the night and things like that.

“So, whatever government is doing is for everybody. So to now isolate people that have gone back to their houses, I don’t see. It’s for everybody, it’s for the entire state. Whatever we are doing is for the entire state and like I said, we are proactive enough to say there is post-flood, so the  committee is already working. It’s for everybody.”

Just as the government is trying its best to see that victims are rehabilitated, compensated and infrastructure re-built, Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), companies, firms, oil majors and corporate bodies are also contributing their quota in the post flood management.

One of such company is the Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Ltd. (PINL) who has distributed over N150million worth of food and non-food items to the various communities affected by flooding in Bayelsa, Imo, Delta and Rivers States.

Mr Osahon Okunbo, the Project Director of the company, who coordinated the distribution of the materials in Ogbia, Southern Ijaw and Yenagoa Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State, said over 100 communities across the four states were affected.

Speaking with THISDAY after the distribution of the items, he said the gesture was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility  to support the victims, who lost properties and sources of livelihood.

The items distributed include over 1000 bags  of rice, cartons of noodles, bags of garri, bags of beans, palm oil among others.

 Okunbo, represented by Admiral Akinjide Akinrinade, the Project Lead of the company, said they were key partners in the fight against pipeline vandalism and oil theft in the Niger Delta region.

He said the company has spent over N150 million for the purchase of the items they have so far been donated to the affected communities across four states.

He said, “The federal government recently assigned us the responsibility of providing surveillance and maintenance of the Trans Niger Pipeline due to our track record of excellent service delivery.

“As a socially responsible company, we are not insensitive to the plights of our partners who have been rendered homeless, asides losing human lives as a result of the ravaging flood.

“We can only be happy if our host communities are happy since we are in business to achieve a mutually beneficial goal.

“Suffice it to say that we are partners in progress to sustain production of crude oil which remains the major source of revenue to governments at all levels.

“We are also to save the communities from environmental pollution arising from the activities of illegal crude oil refiners.

“Our action is further informed by our social obligation as good corporate citizen to support efforts of the government  by providing solutions to current multifaceted socio-economic challenges in the midst of dwindling revenue.

“When the flood started about two months ago or thereabout, our chairman including the Board of Directors were so worried and because of that we created this mission.

“If I may mention we were just recently assigned the Trans Niger pipeline which runs from Diobu creek to Bonny; and we also recall that this flood impacted very negatively on a lot of the communities within the pipeline right of way and this was what agitated the minds of our chairman, the board of directors and they instructed us that we should quickly go round the communities and assess all the communities that were highly impacted. 

“And we did that and based on the assessment they gave us the go ahead to carry out this intervention and that’s exactly what we are doing. Like I said it has been a wonderful experience.”

On the flood, he said, “I think this is the worst I’ve seen so far. I’ve been here all my life as a young officer as a commander before I was the Joint Task Force (JTF) Commander.

“So this particular flood is one I’ve never experienced before because even when the water has receded now, I can still see the level of damages and destruction in the communities.”

Okunbo assured the traditional rulers, chiefs, youths and women leaders of the affected communities of  their determination to carry everyone along with transparency and accountability.

He thanked the people for their unflinching support and cooperation since inception of the project.

The director however, wished them speedy recovery from the physical and psychological trauma occasioned by the flood.

Mr Marcus Danami, the Community Development Committee Chairman, (CDC) of Otuesega community, in Ogbia LGA, while receiving the items, commended PINL for the donation of the items to the host communities.

The chairman accused the IOCs especially, SPDC and AGIP of neglect and wished that PINL takes over the responsibilities of the two companies operating in their community.

He said no company have done what the PINL have been doing for the host communities affected by the flood disaster.

Earlier,  the Paramount Ruler of Ikarama Community, in Yenagoa Local Government Area, said the gesture was the first of its kind, urging other oil firms to emulate the goodwill of PINL to their  host communities.

He commended the firm for the donation of the items to the host communities, assuring them of the safety of their pipelines.

 Also, Chief Livingston Fortune, the Deputy Paramount Ruler of Elebele community, in Ogbia Local Government Area, said the company was special for donating the items to their host communities.

He, however, commended the firm for including the Niger Delta leaders as part of the contractors. 

Mr Marcus Raniya, the Chairman of Otuesega Community Development Committee (CDC) in Ogbia LGA, while receiving the items donated to the community accused the IOCs especially, SPDC and AGIP of neglect and wished that PINL takes over the responsibilities of the two companies operating in their community.

While commending the surveillance company for the donation of the items to the host communities, Raniya said no company has done what the PINL have been doing for the host communities affected by the flood disaster.