Bayelsa Flood: Niger Delta NASS members draws battle line for Humanitarian Affairs Minister over comment

By: Mohammed Taoheed

The members of the Nigerian National Assembly who are from the six states that made up of the Niger Delta region have slammed the Minister Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Farouq over her comments on the flood disaster in Bayelsa State.

They further called on her to resign over what they called open display of ignorance and insensitivity.

Meanwhile, the NASS members also made known their sadness over the handling of the humanitarian disaster in the region, adding that they are saddened to see a disaster being turned to the dirty politics of some public office holders taking advantage of every situation to subjugate some regions of the country by telling blatant falsehood.

The Niger Delta members of the Federal House of Representatives, made up of Hon. Agbedi Frederick(Sagbama /Ekeremor,Bayelsa), Hon. Steve S. Azaiki(Yenagoa,Bayelsa),Hon. Obua Azibapu (Ogbia,Bayelsa),Hon. Israel Sunny Goli (Nembe/Brass,Bayelsa), Hon. Preye Influence Oseke(Southern Ijaw,Bayelsa),Hon. Solomon Bob (Abua/Odual and Ahoada East,Rivers State), Abiante Awaji-Inombek Dagomie (Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro constituency of Rivers State,) and Kingsley Uju(Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta and Oru West , Imo State), said that despite the facts that the Minister’s assumption is based on the number of deaths and displaced persons per state, the number of injured, the number of partially damaged houses, the number of totally damaged houses and the number of farmlands totally and partially damaged, the entire Niger Delta States of Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa ibom, Edo, Imo and Cross River are highly impacted.

Speaking with Track News Nigeria on behalf of his colleagues, the leader of the group, Hon. Fred Agbedi, claimed that the federal legislators were shocked at the assessment of the Minister claiming that Bayelsa State is not amongst the top 10 most affected states by the 2022 ravaging flood.

They declared that “surprisingly, she puts the number of persons injured in Bayelsa State at 81 and the number of deaths at 91. The Minister is wrong. Reports from the Flood Management Committee and traditional rulers indicate that, thousands are wounded and hundreds of our citizens died. Infact even one dead person is enough for our country to show responsibility and sympathy to her people”

“ We wish to bring to the Minister’s attention, that the entire Niger Delta States of Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Imo and Cross River are highly impacted. The comments of the Minister are at variance with the statement of the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Matthias Schmale who declared Bayelsa a disaster zone”.

“It is an undeniable fact that Bayelsa State is not only cut off from the rest of the country but 80% of the landmass at peak of the flood was submerged with over 70% of the inhabitants displaced as a result of the flood. It suffices to state, that there are glaring evidence that has shown the world where the flood is worst hit in Nigeria, testimonies from highly placed Nigerians who visited the state, of the devastating effect of the flood. Even the Cable News Network and Aljazeera on the 17th and 26th of October, 2022 respectively aired it”.

“ The Shell-Gbarain Ubie Gas Gathering Plant in Bayelsa State (1 billion Standard Cubic feet of gas and up to Seventy Thousand barrels of oil per day) the largest in west Africa was affected by the flood necessitating the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Plant at Bonny Island in Rivers State to declare a force majeure. It is therefore, saddening to see a disaster been turned to the usual dirty politics of some public office holders taking advantage of every situation to subjugate some regions of the country by telling blatant falsehood.”

“As we speak, Bayelsa State is the only state that you cannot link by road to the western flank of Nigeria through Delta State and to the eastern flank of Nigeria through Rivers State, almost the entire State has been under water with all schools, including the Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Niger Delta Teaching Hospital Teaching Hospital, Federal University, Otueke, University of Africa, Toru-Orua and Federal Polytechnic Ekowe closed down. The State can only be connected through the waterways or by air. So, how does the Minister even dare to compare such a badly hit State to any other?”

“We the Niger Delta members of the House of Representatives, strongly and unequivocally condemn in strong terms, the statement credited to the Honorable Minister as insensitive, unpatriotic and unnationalistic. While we are not denying the fact that other states in the federation are also affected, the comparison and figures given by the Honorable Minister shows a glaring attempt to downplay the harsh reality on ground.”

“ We are talking of human beings, fellow Nigerians and not some aliens. The figures are not only an insult to the good people of Bayelsa State but to all the victims of the flood who have gone through the trauma of braving the elements by sleeping outside on dugout canoes, roof tops and flood water floors”.

“The Minister, instead of visiting the affected areas to get first hand information and empathize with the victims, is relying on some armchair statistician from far away Abuja to paint a fake picture to Nigerians. It is unfortunate that a state like Bayelsa that contributes massively to the economy of the nation is abandoned at its time of need. We want to further use this medium to commend the executive governor of Bayelsa and other Niger Delta States, for displaying the much needed leadership in this trying times and to call on the federal government to act swiftly as their ambivalence, especially with the recent remark by the Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs is not one to be desired”.

“We call on the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to honourably resign her appointment as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria failing which Mr. President should relieve her of her appointment immediately.”