Floods: Rivers Protests ‘C’Rating …Ikuru Says, 164 Communities sacked, 670,582 Homeless

Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson (left) and his Rivers State counterpart, Rt. Hon.Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, during a courtesy call at Government House, Yenagoa.

The Rivers State House of Assembly has rejected the category
‘C’ rating ascribed to the state by the Federal Government on its list of flood
ravaged states in the country.

In a unanimous resolution, the House after deliberations on
a motion brought by six members and presented by Hon Nname Ewor, on Wednesday,
questioned the criteria used in the allotment of category ‘C’ by the Federal
Government without visiting the state.

Speaker, Rt Hon Otelemaba Amachree urged the Federal
Government to explain how the flood which is ravaging more Rivers communities
daily came under category C, instead of placing it  properly.

The Tide last Monday reported that the Federal Government’s
categorisation of states, affected by the floods in A,B,C and D, with grants
ranging between N500million and N250million.

Category A states which include Oyo, Kogi, Benue, Plateau,
Adamawa, Delta, Bayelsa and Anambra will receive N500 million each.

The B category comprising of Jigawa, Kano, Bauchi, Kaduna,
Niger, Nasarawa, Cross River, Taraba, Imo, Lagos and Edo will receive N400
million each.

The C category which has Kwara, Katsina, Gombe, Ogun, Ondo,
Ebonyi, Abia and Rivers will receive the sum of N300 million each.

The last category, which is D, with Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara,
Yobe, Enugu, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom Borno, Osun states and the Federal Capital
Territory will receive N250 million.

Rivers State as placed in category C for a N300million
relief grant, a gesture which the law makers consider inadequate in view of the
level of devastation.

The Assembly said the number of displaced communities was on
the rise, noting that six local government areas have already been submerged as
the flood covered  roof tops, and
wondered how Bayelsa State, which share similar volume of water could be two
steps ahead of Rivers.

They advised the state government to find out how the
federal authority arrived at the faulty categorization, pointing out that while
what the people are facing is a natural disaster which magnitude should be
correctly stated.

The resolution urged the federal and state governments to
quickly intervene and save lives of people affected by the flood, stressing
that the authorities should assist in evacuation of people to avoid losing more
lives.

Hon Amachreee, therefore directed the House committee on
Environment and Social Welfare and Rehabilitation to visit the affected
communities and report back to the House within one week while sympathising
with the displaced and bereaved families.

In his contribution, Hon Augustine Ngo said local government
areas of Ahoada West, Ahoada East, Ogbia/Egbema/Ndoni, Abua/Odua that
constitute the entire Orashi region have been displaced with over 300,000
families affected.

He explained that the displaced persons need food, shelter,
clothing and mattresses as well a medical facilities to assist the victims of
the natural disaster, adding that the flooding, which started in the northern
states was now emptying into the Niger Delta areas.

Meanwhile, a total of 670,582 persons have been displaced by
ravaging flood in the state.

The state Deputy Governor and Chairman, Rivers State
Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation, Engr Tele Ikuru, yesterday said
43 communities were affected in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, 25 in Abua/Odual, 26 in
Ahoada East and 70 in Ahoada West Local Government areas.

The Deputy Governor also announced the commencement of flood
victims evacuation in the affected four local government areas of the state to
the temporary rehabilitation camps to ameliorate the sufferings.

Engr Ikuru, who expressed concern over the hardship
unleashed by the flood, assured the people that government would ensure that
the situation is urgently addressed to alleviate their plight.

However, relief materials have been distributed in enormous
quantities to the victims in one of the camps in Ahoada West. Relief materials
distributed in Ahoada West include, food, cloths, drinking water, mobile
clinics to address health challenges and tents.

Engr Ikuru urged the victims to conduct themselves properly
and in most orderly manner, and assured them of adequate security, saying that
more security operatives would be sent to the area to avoid unnecessary
criminality in the area.

Enoch Epelle