Flood: Bayelsa Residents Grapple With Offensive Odour, Blackout

Offensive odour from cemeteries in the Azikoro town and outage in most areas of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital are worsening the devastating effects of the flood that has submerged over 300 communities and displaced 700,000 residents.
Residents of the Azikoro town where the major cemetery is located have said despite the fact that many residents have vacated the area due to flood, the emanating odour from the area can cause a major outbreak of epidemic and severe health conditions.
Already, the commissioner for Environment and chairman of the state’s Task Force on Flood Mitigation and Management, Mr. Iselema Gbaranbiri, has raised concerns over the reports that there had been reported cases of corpses being washed up at the cemetery in Azikoro town.
Governor Douye Diri, had at the weekend, expressed the concerns over the devastating impact of this year’s flooding in over 300 communities in the five local government out of the existing eight in the state, declaring that it might result in humanitarian crisis.
He confirmed that no fewer than 300 communities and villages had either been totally or partially submerged in the state.
Gbaranbiri, disclosed that about 700,000 persons had either been displaced or affected by the flood and that virtually all the communities and streets in Yenagoa local government area had also been either submerged or partially flooded.
He said the communities affected were in five other local government areas namely Sagbama, Ekeremor, Ogbia, Kolokuma/Opokuma and Southern Ijaw.
Diri, who continued his on-the-spot assessment tour to Southern Ijaw local government area and other communities in Yenagoa local government area visited included the Amassoma road leading to the Niger Delta University (NDU), which had been cut off on three points along the road leaving commuters stranded.
While lamenting the huge cost of fixing the damaged roads by his government, Diri stressed that individual losses of property and deaths would be minimal if a permanent solution were immediately adopted.
He said, “I have already thought out a line of action. Post-flood mitigation is very important to us at this time. The post-flood period will be about our destroyed infrastructure, particularly roads.
“On Thursday, we saw the road leading to Sagbama from Ekeremor had been badly damaged by the flood. Now, the road from Yenagoa to Amassoma, where you have the Niger Delta University has collapsed in three areas. So, even with the ASUU calling off its strike, the university cannot resume. That is what I have been talking about the peculiarity of Bayelsa State and our Niger Delta environment.
“It will cost the state billions of naira before those roads would be repaired. Also, there is individual losses in terms of houses that have collapsed as a result of the flood and the deaths we have witnessed.
“In the post-flood management, the federal government has to sit with the states to look for a lasting and permanent solution. One of such solutions is the construction of a dam so when water is released from wherever, we should be able to contain it in Nigeria.”