Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson has directed
the State Ministry of Agriculture to establish and control three food storage
sites in Yenagoa as part of proactive measure taken by the state to save flood
victims from starvation.

Hon. Dickson who gave the order in a radio and television
broadcast, last Wednesday also said that the State Emergency Response
Management Committee under the chairmanship of Deputy Governor Gboribiogha John
Jonah is working round the clock to provide some level of relief and succour to
the people.

The Governor who urged Bayelsans not to despair but brace up
in the face of the current crisis caused by unprecedented flood across
communities in the State  enjoined them
to reach out to the committee through the emergence hot line,  07023001002, 07023001003, and 07023001004.

The Governor explained that having made an assessment of the
level of damage to communities, government was prompted to notify the State
House of Assembly on the need for a supplementary budget to tackle the
situation.

He, therefore, expressed conviction that in the light of the
emergency situation, the Assembly would act expeditiously, and  assured that government on its part would do
everything within its power to mitigate the effects arising from the flood.

He also urged Bayelsans to take extra caution over their
lives and those of their families especially children, the aged and the
physically challenged.

The governor sympathized with the security agencies who are
also displaced and noted that a meeting with the state security council will be
convened to assess the effect of the disaster and fashion out a comprehensive
security approach.

Governor Dickson
highlighted plans by government to fight communicable diseases during
and after the flood.

Accordingly he directed the Ministry of Health  to devise appropriate measures to address
medical issues, saying that government,
was adopting various precautionary measures to forestall  imminent shortage of food with a robust plan
to boost food production as parts of the east-west road have been over taken by
water.

To this end, he said plans are on to procure early maturing
and high yielding cassava stem  and other
inputs from local and international research institutes to ensure food
security.

Direct government involvement, according to the governor,
will be required in the production of essential food items like cassava, maize,
cocoa yam, rice, plantain and livestock as well as provide support for
individual farmers.

The State chief executive enjoined Bayelsans to lend a helping
hand to their fellow brothers and sisters in need at this trying period.