The effect of flood currently rampaging the entire Niger
Delta region of Nigeria has started hurting residents of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa
State capital and its environs as prices of food items, meat, fish and other
edible fruits have gone up by 600 percent.

The reasons for this is attributed to the washing off of the
East/West Road which has reduced inflow of both food and cash crops into the
state.

At the pupular Swhali market, a rubber of garri now cost
about N1,500 as against N150.00 it cost previously, a bunch of plantain that
cost between N500 to N1000 before is now being sold at 2,000 to 3,000.

The prices of onions, rice, beans, mellon, and yams have also
increased. Part of the market has also meen submerged.

Meanwhile, Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson has
inaugurated the State Emergency Response Flood Management Committee for the
immediate evacuation of flood victims and provision of relief materials to all
the local government areas.

Governor Dickson, who inaugurated the committee in
Government House Yenagoa, has the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha
John Jonah (Rtd) as chairman while Secretary to the State Government, Prof.
Edmund Allison Oguru is to serve as secretary of the committee.

Membership of the committee comprising more than 20
government officials has commissioners, special advisers, all government
special representatives of local government areas as well as a representative
of the state Commissioner of Police, special adviser on security, House
committee chairman on environment in the state assembly as well as chief of
staff and deputy chief of staff Government House.

In addition to the Emergency Response Flood Management
Committee, local government chairmen are expected to serve as chairmen of their
respective Local Flood Relief Sub-Committees as well as commandants of their
various camps.

Governor Dickson, who listed 5 point terms of reference for
the committee, said it should establish Emergency Relief Camps in strategic
high land locations in every local government area of the state.

The committee is also saddled with the responsibility of
evacuating victims of all the flood ravaged communities to the relief camps.

Governor Dickson charged the committee to interface with all
relevant agencies of government and other international relief agencies to
provide succour for all victims in the camps and work out a post-flood relief
and possible mitigation measures to forestall adverse effects on the state’s
economy.

The Emergency Response Management Committee is also mandated
to undertake any other function in the course of its assignment which may
become necessary considering the peculiar nature of the flood.

Hon. Dickson said government has designated the Samson
Siasia Sports Complex, Yenagoa as camp for people displaced by the flood and
also urged the committee to identify high grounds in the local government areas
and set up camps.

According to the emergency situation created by the flood,
Governor Dickson said government has already taken steps to notify the
leadership of the state House of Assembly to reconvene and reminded it to
conclude work on the bill seeking to establish the State Emergency Management
Agency as well as approach the Assembly for an emergency appropriation to
tackle the problem of flooding.

Responding, Chairman of the committee, Rear Admiral
Gboribiogha John Jonah (rtd) stated that they would swing into action
immediately and gave an assurance that the committee would do its best to
deliver on its mandate.