The senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial district in the National Assembly, Sen. Henry Seriake Dickson, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to use his good offices to mobilise the national assets for immediate rescue operations in Bayelsa State and other areas affected by the devastating flood crisis currently ravaging the region.
The immediate past Governor of Bayelsa State laos urged the Federal Government to rise to the aid of the affected people through urgent deployment of relief items and medical supplies.
In a lenghty statement he issued, Sen. Dickson “sympathised with the people and government of Bayelsa state and I call for the full and urgent mobilization and deployment of the military, para military and related agencies to combat the worsening flood menace in the state.”
The statement read, “It is imperative for the military to participate effectively in the rescue efforts and management of camps and medical service in the State, a large part of which is under water amidst rising water levels.
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“The rampaging flood has chopped off the critical Amassoma Road and cut off the Niger Delta University and the Bayelsa International Airport and adjoining communities from the State Capital.
“Similarly, the flood has cut the Sagbama/Ekeremor Road into two thereby making the second State University, the University of Africa, and the State Polytechnic, Aleibiri, Ekeremor Local Government Area inaccessible.
“The flood has also cut off the East West Road at the Delta State axis and the Rivers State axis thereby isolating the State from other parts of the county.”
Sen. Dickson also said that, “Also, most Internal roads within and outside the State capital have been submerged and cut off thereby making movement in and out of the state impossible.
This is going to heavily impact our people’s sources of livelihood. Businesses have been destroyed with hundreds of thousands of people with communities including the greater part of the State capital displaced, and in desperate conditions.
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“I am aware of the magnitude of challenge involved in managing the flood crisis and the aftermath having managed 3 major flood incidents in Bayelsa in 2012, 2016 and 2020 while I was Governor.
“I call for understanding and for support for the Government of the State to maintain order during the trying period.
I” sympathize with all the people who are victims of this natural disaster and condole with those who lost loved ones.
“I call on the Federal and State Governments to treat this flood disaster as the major issue that should be the focus of attention for now. It is important that the state government would need every support on the rehabilitation of the destroyed road infrastructure after the flood.”