Bayelsa flood crisis worsens, 700,000 people displaced

About 700,000 people have been displaced as flood takes over 300 communities in Bayelsa state, and reported cases of corpses being washed up at the cemetery in Asokoro area of Yenagoa, the state’s capital.

The state’s Commissioner for Environment and Chairman of the State Task Force on Flood Mitigation and Management, Iselema Gbaranbiri, stated these while giving an update on the committee’s activities.

Gbaranbiri said that virtually all the communities and streets in Yenagoa Local Government Area have also been either submerged or partially flooded.

Also, Communities in five other local government areas namely, Sagbama, Ekeremor, Ogbia, Kolokuma/Opokuma and Southern Ijaw were equally seriously affected by the flood.

He, however, assured residents that the government would do its best to bring relief to victims of the flood as the committee was working to address the challenge of the current crisis.

READ ALSO: 3 dead, residents displaced as Bayelsa community submerged by flood 

On Friday, Governor Diri restated his proposal for a post-flood management roundtable between worst-hit states and the Federal Government.

He said such discourse had become necessary due to the infrastructure damage and the number of state resources deployed in tackling the flood menace.

He visited the Amassoma road leading to the Niger Delta University, which unfortunately, has been cut off at three points along the road and has left commuters stranded.

Diri said the unfortunate incident would prevent the resumption of lectures at the university and stressed that individual losses of property and deaths would be minimal if a permanent solution was immediately adopted.

The governor 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.”

READ ALSO: Group calls on Buhari to treat 2022 flood as national emergency crisis

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“It will cost the state billions of naira before those roads are repaired. Also, there are individual losses in terms of houses that have collapsed as a result of the flood and the deaths we have witnessed.”

“In post-flood management, the Federal Government has to sit with the states to look for a lasting and permanent solution. One such solution is the construction of a dam so when water is released from wherever we should be able to contain it in Nigeria.”

The governor equally inspected the state-owned airport and expressed delight that despite the magnitude of the flood, the airport was not submerged contrary to speculations by opposition elements to discredit one of the best airports in the country.

He also visited the School of Nursing and Basic Midwifery in Tombia, Alamieyeseigha Road, Opolo, the Oxbow Lake Pavilion and the State Assembly Quarters, Azikoro.

Others were a camp for internally displaced persons provided by Abel Ebifemowei along the Yenagoa-Amassoma road, Igbedi community and the Agudama-Ekpetiama road.