It is a thing of joy to see the flood has started receding after about a month of psychological, socio-economic and mental torture brought about by high water which submerged houses, destroyed farmlands, roads, bridges and properties of victims.
Unconfirmed reports have that this year’s flood surpasses the 2012 flood in terms of magnitude and devastation. Bayelsa State is one of the hit, according to BYSEMA, the state emergency management Agency out of 1.7 millions population in the only homogeneous Ijaw state 1,344,014 persons we’re affected,; 1.2 million persons were displaced while 96 deaths were recorded.
The State Governor Senator Douye Diri had in a broadcast said that over 300 communities we’re submerged and that 864 and 14,024 houses were totally and partially damaged respectively.
These figures speaks volume on the level of destruction causing by the flood. The government in responding to the plight of it’s citizens sets up Internally Displaced Persons camps, IDPs at Ox-Bow Lake, Igboegene, St. Peter’s Primary School and others camps in Yenagoa as well as other local government areas of the state.
But as the state government starts winding up the various IDP camps, it will be inappropriate for the victims of the flood to be sent away empty. There should be proper assessment of the level of destruction to properties, businesses and farmlands to ensure that those affected are given some sort of succour bearing in mind that their sources of livelihood have been destroyed.
It has been alleged that the ill-preparedness of the government that is making it sent flood victims to their various homes without any means to cushion the effect the devastation have caused to victim’s subsistence.
Already, there are compliants from flood victims at different camps of ill treatment metted to them and their children. As the flood management committee set up by the state government have variously been accused of hoarding and diversion of relief materials.
Many families, business owners and organisations are still a counting their losses from the current flooding calamities. Cost of petrol, transportation and foodstuffs arising from non accessibility of Yenagoa the Bayelsa State capital to other parts of the state have pushed inflation up causing untold hardship to affected flood victims.
Therefore it’s not out of place for the Post-flood management committee set up by the state government to immediately work out modalities to amoelerate the plight of victims. We suggest that grants be given to to those whose farmlands, businesses, agricultural investment and source of survival have been dislocated.
From hindsight, during the 2012 flood victims were not properly resettled back to their homes and this government should not tow the same line but rather but should treat flood victims with human face in line with the mantra of the government which is bringing prosperity to the doorstep of Bayelsans.
As much our medium would want to commend Senator Douye Diri for during his budget presentation announced the setting up the directorate of flood and erosion control, the agency should be manned by competent personnel deviod of political consideration as this has always make institutions of government non functional.
It is our considered opinion that resettling flood victims backs to their places of abode should be a priority by giving grants to flood victims given that the people have not fully recovered from the effect of the global pandemic and the rising cost of commodities as this will go along way to stimulate as well as boost the economy of the state.
After all, government is about the welfare of it’s citizens and most especially at a time of natural disasters like floodings.
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