· Govt, Dickson, IYC fault minister’s comment
Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa
Contrary to the claims of the federal government, the United Nations lamented loss of assets, lives and livelihood to flooding in Bayelsa State, describing the flood disaster in Bayelsa State as a crisis of major proportion that deserves attention.
UN’s observation apparently belied a statement credited tothe Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq that Bayelsa State “is not among the ten most impacted states by the 2022 flood.”
The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria and Representative of the Secretary General, Mr. Matthias Schmale expressed the concern at the weekend during a visit to the Government House, Yenagoa.
Schmale led a delegation comprising officials of the global body, the World Health Organisation and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to the state on the spot assessment
Quoted in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Daniel Alabrah yesterday, Schmale likened the Bayelsa situation to the Pakistani floods that attracted global attention.
Schmale, accompanied by Governor Douye Diri to tour flood-impacted communities in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, said his visit was a response to the letter from the governor and called for attention to address the devastating effect of the flooding.
Schmale commended Diri for his commitment in visiting flooded communities in the state, noting that what he witnessed required both material and moral support.
He also stated that the UN would advocate and mobilise resources for the recovery phase to enable victims return to their normal lives.
Schmale stressed that it was disheartening that lives, livelihoods and assets had been lost to the flood.
He, therefore, called on the federal government and the international community to join hands to support what was left of the immediate response and recovery phases.
In a statement by its Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Mr. Ayiba Duba yesterday, the state government the minister of humanitarian affairs for claiming that Bayelsa “is not among the ten most impacted states by the 2022 flood.”
The commissioner described her claim as disheartening, though not surprising especially given the slow response from ministry to the humanitarian crisis that arose from the rampaging flood in the state.
According to Duba, the way the minister has treated Bayelsa state is so unfortunate that the people are beginning to doubt if they are part of Nigeria as she sat comfortably in Abuja to determine the most flooded.
Likewise, the state’s former governor and Senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, condemned in strong terms Farouq’s unscientific assessment of the devastating effect of the 2022 flood in Bayelsa State.
Also, former Deputy National Publicity Secretary, All Progressives Congress (APC) Hon. Yekini Nabena, condemned Farouq over her comments that Bayelsa “is not among the 10 most affected states in the country reeling under floods.”
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Ebilade Ekerefe, the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) also condemned the non-charlatan attitude of the federal government through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to the plight of over a million displaced persons in Bayelsa State and other Niger Delta states.
According to statement, the Ijaw Youths want to place on record that the delayed response and the derogatory claim by NEMA and the ministry of humanitarian affairs is insulting, provocative and inhuman towards the people and Government of Bayelsa State.
He said: “This explanation is therefore provided to contextualize the statement credited to Gen. Marwa and clear all insinuations on the possibility of such request for sniffer dogs in the agency’s 2023 budget proposal.”
