Bayelsa And Flooding

Bayelsa is one of the states in the country that is prone to flooding.
The state which is located in the heart of the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria has a low land and marshy environment.
Moreover, the state has several creeks running from the Rivers Niger and Benue to the sea.
Bayelsa is always affected by any increase in water level in Rivers Niger and Benue.
In the 2012, flooding, half of the state was submerged by water and even the capital Yenagoa was not spared.
Water covered the entire road in the capital city including the road leading to the government house.
Also in that year, some communities were also affected.
Some of these communities are: Egwe-Ama in Brass Local Government. Otubhi in Ogbia, Edwarie in Southern Ijaw and Trofani.
Adagbabiri, Odonni Anibeze and Asamabiri in Sagbama Council Area.
The rest are: Kaiama, and Sampou in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area.
As at the last count, more than 20 communities were affected.
In Obagene and Okututulu towns residents were forced to vacate their homes business and schools were shut down.
The surprising thing is that since the incident, there has been no effort by both the state and federal governments to find solutions to the problem.
In 2013 and subsequent years that followed, residents also vacated their homes.
For how long will this continue?
Already, some residents of the state are beginning to be agitated over the possibility of having to vacate homes this year, 2022.
Some of them raised concern in an interview.
According to some of them, whenever flooding occures there are many risks associated with it .Take for instance, the issue of snakes and other reptiles that searched for higher ground to stay until the water is obated.
There are also rodents that invade houses because every where is flooded.
“We need help but no one seems to care. We have resorted to moving some of our valuables to neighbours houses because there are no shelter provided by the government.
Another residents who spoke under anonymity said they normally used dugout canoes to access their houses during period of flooding.
It is on this note that I called on government to do something urgently about the situation.

By: Abiye Nelson Amadi