Aggrieved Bayelsa flood victims write Govt. over ‘unfair’ distribution of palliatives

Isaac Ombe, Yenagoa

As the flood that ravaged over 95 per cent of Bayelsa State gradually recedes, a coalition of flood-impacted IDPs has carpeted the state government over the distribution of palliatives.

The group were allegedly hitherto left out in all flood associated palliatives.

The group known as ‘The Coalition of the respective leaderships of aggrieved 2022 flood IDPs of Bayelsa State’ has, therefore, challenged the state government and the Flood Management Committee to make public the volume of palliatives and cash donated to state by various organisations and individuals.

The group has also expressed fears that the history of hoarding of relief materials and moneys meant for vulnerable flood victims might repeat itself like in previous flood cases in the state.

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Led by its Chairman Steering Committee, Pastor Leighe Nathaniel, and  its Secretary, Christian Iwokurai, the Forum, in an interactive session with journalists, in Yenagoa, on Wednesday, also rejected  in strong  terms, the state  government’s planned distribution of palliatives along Ward lines. It described such plan as ‘politically-motivated’. It believed the palliatives would not get to the real flood victims.

Accompanied by large members of the group, who appeared hopeless and dejected, the group also read an open letter to Governor Douye Diri, where it decried what it called the lack of government recognition at the height of the flood,

The group also expressed surprise that the millions of Naira and trailers of food items donated to the state in the name of flood victims have not reached the vulnerable and less-privileged victims.

Pointing out the state government’s shortcomings in its supposed goodwill to ameliorate impact on flood victims, it accused the Flood Management Committee of no even treatment of IDPs, improper delivery  of palliatives to the IDPs as well as hoarding of relief materials, amongst others.

“Forum further observed with dismay that palliatives were distributed to various targets without due consultation and harnessing of relevant stakeholders of intended recipients and thus warranting the eventual non-delivery of the palliatives to the originally designated destinations.”

While it  “Observed with deep dismay that the Bayelsa State Government’s ugly and bitter history of hoarding relief materials is threatening to repeat itself”, the Forum said the development was “Consequently giving rise to the scare on our part that the endemic inhuman perennial record of the Bayelsa State Government in hoarding quantum of relief materials meant for the vulnerable and less-privilege until they got spoilt (if not decayed) and then eventually discarded instead of distribution of same to the poor in the society is likely on course.”

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It further alleged that “the actions were apparently giving room for dishonest government functionaries to take undue advantage thereof”.

The Forum said it would support the planned distribution of palliatives on ward basis.

“Whereas a Ward is not a government administrative block of any nature but a political/political parties administrative unit.

“Thus the earlier said plan on the part of the State Emergency Management Committee to distribute palliatives along Ward basis is rather in consistence with suspicious political-undertone, but not at all on the sideline with sincere passion needed for relief-attention for the flood devastated vast populace”.

While advising the state government to come up with a modality for rectifying the distribution of palliatives to its preferential treated IDP camps and those ill-treated, it also advised the government to properly engage end-receivers of palliatives to conduct relief materials to their respective targeted destinations and not via  trusted but failed so-called political leaders”.

The aggrieved IDPs also challenged the state government to make public, the declaration of the volume of palliatives, both cash and kind, received from all sources and as internally originated by the Bayelsa State Government and the comprehensive record of the distribution of the palliatives so far.

“Government”, the IDPs added, “should set up a mechanism to retrieve and recover all undelivered (or redirected to unauthorised destinations or cheerily hoarded palliatives) from its trusted but-failed handlers of the 2022 flood palliatives distribution and demanded for the inclusion of members of the forum into the state Flood  Emergency Management Committee for proper monitoring of its activities.

A member of UPE IDP Camp, in Ibom, Yenagoa, Ebikefe George, appealed to security agencies to come and rescue them from what he described as a monster big snake that has continued to terrorise the camp at night

According to him, “We found out that there is a monster snake up to ten inches terrorising the place at night brought by the flood. Efforts to get rid of it has been in vain.

“As people are going back home, it will be a danger to people around the area.

“The area should be fumigated and security agencies should please come to our aid” appealed George who is also member of the National Vigilante of Nigeria.

Another victim, Helen Bibi, says her mud house had been demolished by the flood and appealed to the state government for assistance to enable her and her mother and siblings to go back home .

In his remarks, Comrade Moris Alagoa, Head of ERA and a member of Civil Liberties organisation (CLO), also appealed to the state government to make items such as building equipment and other vital materials to assist flood victims as they go back home.

Comd. David West, also a member of CLO, and a victim of the flood who hibernated in one of the IDPs camps  with his family, said that the treatment meted to most camps was unacceptable.

He said no government officials visited most of them and no palliatives despite the money and food items donated to the state.

The state government has next Sunday as the deadline for all IDPs to back home because of reopening of schools in the state.