October 27, (THEWILL) – Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has expressed appreciation to those that have supported the state as it grapples with the raging floods.
Governor Diri, who spoke on Wednesday, during the weekly state executive council meeting in Government House, Yenagoa, said the support received so far has helped the state in its recovery process.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as assuring that funds and items received will be published in line with the transparent posture of his administration.
The governor said he was grateful to the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, for visiting the state last weekend, during which he made a pledge to support victims of the flood.
He also expressed gratitude to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, for his philanthropy and empathy shown to people of the state.
Abubakar, who is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, was in Bayelsa on Tuesday, to visit victims of the flood and donated the sum of N55 million.
Similarly, the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, who visited one of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) camp at Igbogene with members of his cabinet on Wednesday, also donated N100 million on behalf his state government.
Governor Diri equally appreciated an illustrious son of the state, Dr Azibapu Eruani, who he said pledged during his visit to support victims of the flood with food items worth N350 million.
The state’s helmsman commended Dr Eruani for the support and called on other privileged Bayelsans to emulate him by identifying with the state in its trying time.
The governor also read a letter from his Lagos State counterpart, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, commiserating with the state and donating the sum of N50 million to tackle the floods.
His words: “Let me use this opportunity to appreciate those who have showed themselves as our true friends and brothers. We called for help and God has sent helpers. We say thank you to those that have come through for us so far. We will publish all donations received.
“We appreciate our former VP, Atiku Abubakar, for his philanthropy and empathy towards our people. Today, we also received my brother governor from Akwa Ibom State. He did not just visit, but he also donated N100 million. We thank the people of Akwa Ibom for their show of brotherliness.
“I also acknowledge a letter received from the Governor of Lagos State.
“Also, within this period, a son of the soil, Dr Azibapu Eruani, visited and made a pledge of N350 million worth of food items.
“Let me also appreciate the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Oladayo Amao, for the support of the Nigerian Air Force. We procured some items and because the road into our state has been cut off, we approached the Air Force and they obliged to airlift what we bought from Abuja to PH and to Yenagoa. The Bayelsa State Government bought the items.”
Meanwhile, Imiringi community, a suburb of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital, and a community in the Ogbia council area of the state, have begun counting their losses to the ravaging floods.
Speaking with Journalists during an assessment tour of the impact of the floods in the community, the Chairman, Community Development Committee (CDC), Mr Dawari Okpu, noted that aside the outright cutting-off of the flooded Imiringi-Otuasega-Yenagoa road, the community have also recorded a number of deaths to the killer floods.
He revealed that while families in the community have already been overwhelmed by the floods, the number of internally displaced persons in the community too in the past weeks have increased significantly.
Okpu called on the Bayelsa state government and other well-meaning individuals to come to the aid of the community, saying they were in dire need of assistance, as the floods like in many other places have caused untold hardship, leading to palpable fear in the community.
The CDC Chairman said: “If you look at some parts of our alternate road called ring road, you’ll probably think the houses and homes flooded were few. But as we speak the entire community is flooded. Many residents here have been displaced, and so the remaining homes here have been overwhelmed by IDPs, both people from here and elsewhere.
“The worst is that the Imiringi-Yenagoa road, our quickest and easiest access road to Yenagoa, the state capital have been totally submerged and cut-off by the floods. Now we can hardly access Yenagoa, due to high fares charged by transporters, who would have to drive to parts of Rivers state before accessing Yenagoa, our state capital”, he said.
“All our internal roads are flooded, our churches, schools. All our farms have been destroyed by the floods. There’s untold hardship,etc. Infact the home of the PDP caucus Chairman for Ogbia LGA, our leader and father, Chief Innocent Afagha, is also heavily impacted.
“As it were, we can only access parts of this Community through boats. We’re suffering like many other Communities visited by the state governor in the cause of empathising with impacted Communities.
“We’re calling on the state government and good spirited individuals to assist this community in our efforts to cushion the effects of this killer floods.”
Our Correspondent also reported that despite the set up of the Task Force on petroleum by the state government, there has been an uncontrolled upsurge of individuals (black markets) that sell fuel to motorists and Keke riders at exorbitant prices, thereby exacerbating high prices of transport fares within the metropolis.
Some of these black markets operators claimed that they have to survive and sustain themselves since they could not get palliatives from anywhere, but they hear on radio daily that individuals and corporate bodies have being donating cash and palliatives to those affected, to cushion the effects of the flood that have affected every Bayelsans and residents directly or indirectly.
Also embarked upon by resilient residents are mama-put restaurants along major streets at nights, where foods are sold to individuals who are able to secure where to lay their heads until the flood recedes.
