Floods Ravage Bayelsa Communities As Lawmaker Appeals To FG, NEMA For Intervention

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Sunday, September 16th, 2018

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Some coastal communities in Bayelsa State have been submerged by ravaging floods, the State Government confirmed on Sunday through the Information and Orientation Commissioner, Daniel Iworiso-Markson.

The Commissioner who spoke to journalists in Yenagoa, hinted that the number of communities affected by the flood is increasing on a daily basis and insisted that the state is in dire need of support from the Federal Government.

He reiterated an earlier call made by the deputy governor, Rear Admiral Gborobiogha John Jonah (Rtd), that the state is yet to get its own share of the flood intervention fund.

The Deputy Governor had last Wednesday while playing host to a delegation from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) expressed displeasure over the non-payment of its share of the N1.6 billion approved by the Federal Government for states ravaged by flood disaster.

Iworiso-Markson decried the delay in the release of the fund since 2012, saying it would have helped to complement the efforts of the state government to tackle the perennial flood.

While maintaining that Bayelsa has never benefited from any federal government fund for flood victims despite been one of the states most hit by devastation, the Commissioner urged Bayelsans to be vigilante and also make use of the available call lines and report incidents of flood in their areas for quick intervention.

Meanwhile the lawmaker representing Sagbama constituency 3 in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Salo Adikumo said the worst hit communities in his area are Asamabiri, Elemebiri, Ekperiware and Adagbabiri.

Hon. Adikumo said so far properties worth millions of naira have been destroyed in the affected communities and solicitied for the intervention of the federal government through NEMA.

He also appealed to other relevant Federal agencies to with haste come to the rescue of those affected by the flood as the State Government is doing its best within the limit that they can.