Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, on Monday, directed officials of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to commence the immediate distribution of foodstuff in its warehouse.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after inspecting the SEMA warehouse at Igbogene, Governor Diri said the distribution is to mitigate the effects of measures taken by the state government over the COVID-19 pandemic on the people of the state.
A statement by his Acting Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as emphasising the need for equitable distribution of the items to all the local government areas of the state.
Governor Diri urged the people not to despair in the face of the COVID-19 scourge as his administration would continue to do everything within its reach to assuage their suffering.
While thanking the Federal Government for its relief donations in the past, he called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to support state governments in addressing the challenges associated with the pandemic.
The governor who was accompanied by his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, on the inspection, also commended Professor Tarila Tebepah for his show of patriotism by donating his personal property to warehouse the items for the state.
His words: “I’m happy you said in your briefing that you have got clearance from Abuja to distribute the items you have in this facility, which was benevolently donated to the state by one of our elder statesmen, Prof. Tarila Tebepah.
“We thank him for warehousing the items for us and the National Emergency Management Agency for listening to the pleas and yearnings of the state. We appreciate what we have seen here.
“But like Oliver Twist, we ask that they see and respond to COVID-19 as another emergency by complementing efforts to alleviate the suffering of our people, probably across all the states in the country.”
In his remarks, chairman of the Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency, Dr Zedekiah Isu, explained that the items were donated to the state by its national counterpart in respect of the 2019 flood disaster.
Dr Isu said after repeated efforts, his agency succeeded in securing clearance for distribution of the items from Abuja only recently after the intervention of the state governor.
According to the SEMA chairman, various food items including several thousands of bags of garri, guinea corn and sorghum were available for distribution.
