This Flood Will Affect Bayelsa’s IGR In Coming Days -Morris Alagoa
5 min read
Morris Alagoa, head of the Bayels State office of the Environmental Rights Action, ERA, has been monitoring the flood situation in Bayels State. He spoke with TNN on recent developments, even as he lamented the effects of the flood on his family.
Excerpts:
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It is about two weeks since the flood ravaged Bayelsa State and environs. Can you do an assessment of the situation so far?
I don’t think any one person would be able to do holistic assessment of the situation, taking the different areas of interest into consideration. By this I mean looking at losses incurred by traders, business folks, man-hour, farmers in the area of crops, livestock and fish farming, health, physical and emotional injuries, deaths, etc. The flood is taking its toll on the people of Bayelsa State, without mercy. While the monster flood which is worse than that of 2012 has started to recede; it has left many families in a state of needs…and traumatized as a result of losses
Poultry and fish farmers are wailing, having lost all they invested. Even my wife who was rearing about a hundred broilers; over 60 died almost on the same day and she has not been herself since. I only tried my best to comfort her. A neighbour told us that her brother who invested over N3m on his poultry also lost everything and it highly traumatized too.
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Communities outside Yenagoa are yet to receive any form of relief from the government, only IDP camps within Yenagoa and environs are being taken care of. We hope the government would try and get to a communities as it was in 2012
As the head, ERA Niger Delta Resource Centre Yenagoa, I have been receiving calls on daily basis from communities
What aspect of the flood havoc made you to shed tears?
It didn’t push me to that level of shedding tears, even though I happen to be a direct victim. However, I am still shocked and amazed that the state authorities failed to take the issue of flooding seriously even when the media afforded some of us opportunity to be going in and out of radio and TV stations over the years advocating for the need for government to take proactive steps. If we have been prepared, by now volunteers (who must have been trained) would have been in the field all over the state with relief materials, either by speedboat, wooden engine boats or by big cars like tippers
So, this approach of fire brigade and cosmetic applied by the state government is sickening; a sad commentary
By now, we would have had well stocked warehouses in different parts of the state, instead of complaining about the ugly situation on the East West Road. Supplies such as Water, mosquito nets, drugs, light food items, soaps/ detergents, solar lighting systems, etc. But, we are caught up with the same old story of East West Road wahala. when NiMET and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency had given warning over five months before. Also, when water was released from the Lagdo dam, some of us were in Radio studios and TV calling for action. But, they failed. It is not as if disasters won’t happen, how we tackle them is very important.
Apart from the federal government, friends of Bayelsa State don’t seem to have shown any empathy to the victims. Does this shock you?
I am not sure if this is really true. However, it is true that much attention was given to Bayelsa State in 2012 by some philanthropists because Dr Goodluck Jonathan was president; they wanted to impress him.
But then, as it was in the past, several individuals and NGOs who don’t even have offices in Bayelsa State are angling to come and assist victims of the flood. Annkio Briggs, President of Agape Birthright Organization, Dr. Nnimmo Bassey of Health Of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) is another individual and NGO that has been very much interested and ready to come in and help. I have heard of other groups and individuals too. Their challenge currently is the situation on the East West Road. But, as soon as the flood recedes or the East West Road is passable; I am very certain these groups and others would come in and render support
You have interacted with the victims. You have seen what the people have gone through. Share with us, those gory, touching stories from some of the victims. Which of them is the most touching for you?
Apart from avoidable deaths, the fact that the Human dignity is denied victims who are now IDPs is disturbing enough. Those who lost loved once are most painful to console; as any life lost is lost forever. This is so, even if you relocated to the house of your relations.
People are lamenting about their property, furniture and, especially documents. Also in this category are those who watched their livestock dying and fishes escaping or bags of food items getting soaked in the flood. Very sad and disturbing experience. The Federal and state governments should work out a way to ameliorate the plight of these victims by way of compensation or assistance.
In the nearest future, what are your fears, as farmlands, poultry farms and other business have been affected by the flood?
Besides immediate food security challenges which is poses serious concerns; my fear is that a lot of people would be scared of investing in such an environment due to these sad experiences. This would affect the local economy and IGR negatively.
You think investors would be afraid of coming to Bayelsa because of the flood?
Definitely, big one small… depending on the areas of investment. No investor would want to lose or not make profit. You can see that the state government declared six weeks flood related holiday for primary and secondary schools in the state. We also advocated for Civil servants to be given work free days and a week holiday has been declared for Civil servants in the state, except those on essential services. These are all part of the losses. If due to flood employees of an investor cannot go to work or there is business down