Humanitarian Affairs Minister Visits Bayelsa, Empathises With Flood Victims

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, on Tuesday, visited Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, to empathise with victims of the recent flood disaster in the State, describing the incident as an unfortunate one given the monumental loss of lives and properties.

Sadiya Umar-Farouq, who was received at the Government House in Yenagoa by the State’s deputy governor, Senator Lawrence Erhujiakpor, said she was in the State on behalf of the Federal Government and the entire Management and staff of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, to commiserate with the Government and good people of Bayelsa and to express their sympathy and condolences to the people of the State over the unfortunate incident of flood disaster.​

She also pointed out that following the magnitude of the devastation in the State and most parts of the country at large, “President, Muhammadu Buhari approved the release of 12,000 metric tons of assorted food commodities from National Strategic Reserve Stock for distribution to victims of this flood disaster in the country as a way of assuaging their suffering.”

She also briefed the deputy governor on the relief efforts extended to the State during the flood disaster and recounted the number of food and non-food items sent and said the outstanding balance of 1,315 bags of 25kg garri, 105 metric tonnes of maize and 88.7 tonnes of Sorghum will be delivered soonest.

She said the intervention efforts, which was carried out through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), an agency under her Ministry, was still being sustained since July, 2022 to date.

“l wish to, on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, to convey the assurances of the Federal Government’s continued support and assistance, in line with his directives to support the affected persons with​ necessary basic relief assistance. I wish to also commend the Bayelsa State Government for providing support to the flood affected persons as well as appreciates the understanding of concerned members of the public on the intervention by the Federal and State Governments so far,” she stated.

The Minister also used the opportunity to speak on the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) package and the Roll-Out of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP 2.0) of Federal Government, explaining that they are all programmes designed to lift many of the poorest, vulnerable, widows, youth, disabled and the displaced citizens.

“All these programmes are being implemented in close partnerships with State Governments and in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to fight poverty from all angles,” she explained.

Responding, the Bayelsa State deputy governor, Senator Lawrence Erhujiakpor, told the Minister that the State was initially pained that the Federal Government did not come to commiserate with the people during the flood disaster but NEMA eventually came, saying the agency’s gesture was not like a visit from President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister.

“It is better to be late than not come at all. The cause is beyond the state and the country. Man has treated the environment badly and the environment has decided to fight back. We are happy that you have finally come,” he told the Minister.

Erhujiakpor also informed the Minister that the State took recorded and gathered data during the flood disaster and it showed that the flood rose by 4.26 metres and as at October 18, it rose to its peak of 16.37 metres.

“As at last week, it was about 5.3metres.The projections is about 4.25metre rise in the waters. For the first time, all the state were flooded. For instance Kolokuma/Opokuma local government that has 20 communities had all flooded. Yenagoa has 72 communities and 68 were flooded. Sagbama had about 74 communities and 68 were flooded. The statistics were gory,” he said.

He said that was why when the state heard that the Minister said Bayelsa was not among the worst hit by the flood they were wondering what was happening.

“We were worried but I thank God all those impressions have been corrected and think of how to move forwards. We also want to thank the Federal Government for setting up the emergency relief committee and making Bayelsa a member,” he added.

On the issue of relief materials sent to the State, the Bayelsa Deputy Governor noted that some of the relief sent to some communities and local government areas without the knowledge of the State Government were not received.