Flood: Jonathan, Gov Diri ‘s Areas Submerged

Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri yesterday visited the Otuoke community, hometown of former president Goodluck Jonathan in Ogbia local government area to assess the level of impact of the raging flooding, declaring that the former president, himself and many other leaders in the state are not left out in the disaster.

Gov. Diri, who also visited the aged mother of the former president, Madam Eunice Jonathan, in the community and assured her that the state government was with her and the people of Otuoke.

Speaking to newsmen after the tour of the flooded Otuoke community in Ogbia and parts of Southern Ijaw, Ayama-Ijaw and Azikoro community in Yenagoa, he sympathised with the victims and lamented the degree of destruction caused by what he described as an “attack by natural disaster” on the livelihood of Bayelsans.

He said; “Let me also use this opportunity to empathise with my leader, the former president of Nigeria, who has joined me as one of the IDPs because I was one of the first victims in my community.” He again solicited the help of well-meaning Bayelsans, corporate organisations and the federal government to enable the state overcome the present unfortunate situation.

He stressed that Otuoke, which is the host community of a federal university, had been submerged and most of the locals displaced, including the home of Dr. Jonathan. The governor, however, urged the people not to despair even in these trying times, assuring them that the state government had put in place machinery to provide relief materials and medical assistance to victims of the flood.