From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

As Flood was ravaging and displacing thousands of people from their homes in Biseni Kingdom and part of Yenagoa in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, the state governor senator Douye Diri said the flood cannot even be compared to 2019 and still hoping that there will be no flood in Bayelsa.

Diri said, as this year’s prediction came that the flood will be worse than in 2022, we were afraid and the religious leaders began to pray and this is November, saying the flood cannot even be compared to 2019. While most of the victims from several communities across the Kingdom were taking refuge on a bridge, road and makeshift camps, the governor was not in touch with reality.He said, “While our president under former administration was going to give money to Pakistan, we were dying here in Bayelsa under the heavy flood, you heard the woman that said Bayelsa is not even among the 10 most flooded states in Nigeria, she parked the money with her husband to go and context an election and they failed”.Diri while speaking at the 13th Bayelsa Annual Thanksgiving said, why they were moving from local government to local government, the federal government at that time went and gave money to Pakistan and “never cared about us in Bayelsa state as if we were not part of Nigeria”.Though, the affected communities have sent a passionate save our souls cry to the Federal and Bayelsa State government to come to their rescue.Many homes, schools, health facilities, worship centres, roads and farmlands have been submerged by the rampaging flood watersIt’s a tale of sufferings from natives of several communities in Biseni Kingdom in Bayelsa State who have become victims of the ravaging floods which have sacked them from their homes, businesses and other facilities in the area.From Kilama to Perebiri- Ayahkumo, Egbebiri and Tuburu communities, the story is the same for many residents who look traumatized as their houses and property are now under water from the Rivers Niger and Benue as well as the Orashi River. The house of the Chairman of Yenagoa Local Government Area Council, Bulodisiye Ndiwari was not spared either as it has been overtaken by flood.The Ibedaowei of Biseni clan, King David Obuma, a former Majority Leader in the State House of Assembly says they feel abandoned as the floods have brought serious hunger and shelter issues, urging the government to help the people to sandfill some places as higher grounds for refuge as short term measure, while embankment of the river bank, dykes and dams should be constructed as long term solutions.Also, King Akile Peter Debekeme, the Pere of Biseni lamented that despite playing host to several oil wells and gas facilities, the people of the Kingdom continue to be at the receiving end of flood disasters each year, calling for government’s intervention through the provision of relief materials and construction of internally displaced persons camps in the area.Some of the displaced persons including the secretary to the chiefs’ council, Oweifa Godday and Ere Konugha who are taking refuge at a temporary shelter on a bridge say they are distressed and confused as they are separated from their families.Deputy Executive Director of the advocacy group, Environmental Defenders Network, Chief Alagoa Morris who led a team of journalists on assessment of the flood situation described the conditions of the Biseni people as pathetic calling for urgent action from government at the federal and state levels as well as interventionist agencies.Chief Morris while lambasting the now scrapped Niger Delta Ministry for failing to make its impact felt in communities, challenged the Niger Delta Development Commission to come to the aid of the people while urging the Federal government to give succor to Biseni, he enjoined the Bayelsa State government to deploy the N3 billion received to cushion the sufferings face by flood victims and fashion efficient and transparent mechanism to distribute relief materials while supervising political appointees who allegedly divert them.Apart from Biseni, communities in Epie Kingdom in Yenagoa, Sampou in Kolokuma-Opokuma, Sagbama and Ogbia were also affected by the flood disaster in Bayelsa State.