•Inmates faint as hunger ravages IDP camps
•Victims lament failed monetary promises
•80 per cent of IDPs left to fend for themselves despite donations- NGO
AFTER managing to survive the flood incidents that ravaged their communities recently, many flood victims in Bayelsa and Delta states are now plagued by hunger and myriads of other challenges that compound their woes.
One of the inmates at Ox-Bow Lake IDP camp, in Yenagoa. Bayelsa State, Mrs Rosemary Sampson, who is with her three kids, said all is not well in the camp as inmates are fed very late in the morning and at night.
She said: “They give us food here two times a day. The first meal is served at 12 noon while the second food is after 9pm.
“Before the food is served, we are already weak and tired, and when it eventually comes, it is usually too small and not properly prepared.
“Many people have been fainting here because of hunger. My children have fainted many times. “Also, there appears to be discriminatory treatment by those managing the camp. For instance, some persons have mosquito nets while others don’t.
“We are really suffering. I have mosquito bites all over my body. So also do the children. We use our bare hands to pack feaces.
“The other time, we were told they were going to give us N20,000 each to augment us, but none of us has seen the money.
“It was only N1,000 that was given to each person. We have yet to receive the promised N20,000.
“To be candid, Governor Douye Diri is doing his best but the people coordinating the work are the ones spoiling things for him.”
Another inmate, Faith Saturday, corroborated Sampson’s statement, saying that her own situation was so precarious that in the midst of their travail, her children would be crying for food and she would not be able to provide for them.
Saturday said: “The government has done well to relocate us to this place. I want to implore the governor to ensure that the people running the camp give us food at the right time so that we can be spared of different agonies.
“For someone like me, I don’t have any food to give to my children. The way we starve at times is not good enough.
“Another aspect is that when certain necessities are shared, some persons have more while others don’t get at all.
“As I am talking to you, there is no foam for me and my children to sleep on.
“Even the mosquito nets I brought from my place, I do not have where to pin them.
“We are not able to have good sleep because of mosquitoes. I am always awake fanning my children and killing mosquitoes.
“The money they said they would give us as pocket money, we have not seen anything apart from the N1,000 that was given to me some weeks back.
“If you go to the coordinators to inform them about your plight, they chase you away, saying they have given out what was available.
“We do not have money to feed our children. Before the food is ready, it takes a pretty long time.
“I always feel very bad seeing my children hungry but unable to do anything about it.
“I am appreciative of the government’s gesture but the problems we have are those people taking care of us here.
“They are not doing what they are supposed to do.”
Patience Nelson, who said she had been in the camp for more than two weeks, also sang the same song as other inmates.
Nelson said: “They are trying their best. They give us food, but the time we get the food to eat is too late.
The morning food is served by 12pm while evening food is served at 9pm. Some persons don’t even see food to eat at all.
“I am really missing my house. I won’t lie to you, there is no life here. “I am suffering from malaria and there is nowhere to pin the mosquito net I brought here. Some persons have more than 10 foams while others do not have any.”
A male inmate by the sobriquet Governor Alamco, said flood took over his house and because he did not want to inconvenience any of his friends or relatives, he decided to go to the IDP camp.
On his observation at the camp, Alamco said: “The way the food is coordinated is not nice. We have older people, breastfeeding mothers and children here.
“If they want us to be on a queue, then they should separate us and not pile all of us together. Some persons eat while others do not see food to eat.
“In the area of medicals, they are doing well. We are given drugs every day.”
Victims left to fend for themselves
An advocacy group, Bayelsa Non-governmental Organisations Forum (BANGOF), alleged that a greater number of victims of the 2022 floods, which ravaged about 80 per cent of Bayelsa, are left to fend for themselves in spite of the huge support the state has received from sympathisers.
The position is contained in a report issued by BANGOF in Yenagoa after monitoring the flood situation and its impact as well as the response from the government.
The group said it observed that the government had no dedicated camps to support persons displaced in coastal communities, except for those resident in Yenagoa.
The report signed by the Transition Committee Chairman of BANGOF, Dauseye Torki, further noted that persons in charge of relief materials and flood impact mitigation, both at national and state levels, were economical with the truth over relief materials they had received from the government, individuals or organisations.
The statement reads in part: “We visited several IDP camps, especially the Ox-Bow Lake in Swali, Yenagoa.
“The Ox-Bow Lake camp with about 3,500 IDPs is, so far, the only camp where state attention is focused.
“It is the only camp where they cook food for IDPs, provide mosquito nets, mattresses or mats.
“The government also provided medical services, water and security, both police and Bayelsa vigilantes in this camp.
“Meanwhile, at the Igbogene camp with about 550 IDPs, the government has only provided medical services and water as well as some presence of the police.
“IDPs in the Igbogene camp are fending for themselves with support from public-spirited individuals, churches and foundations (NGOs).
“It was only on Monday, October 24 that the state government began to construct a kitchen for the camp. “There are several other IDP camps within Yenagoa and its environs. A few other camps visited include Mother and Child Camp at Bayelsa Palm Road with over 62 IDPs, including newborns, mothers, caregivers and older children of newly delivered women.
“We also visited St.John’s Catholics Church, Igbogene which has over 300 IDPs including women and children, and Bozi Water IDP camp with over 350 IDPs.
“Besides the OXBOW LAKE and the Igbogene camps, there is no government presence in all these other camps.
“They are self-funded and only sustain themselves through communal efforts and support from public-spirited individuals.
“And we observed that a greater number of victims are left on their own to weather this great challenge.”
BANGOF claimed there were no dedicated camps to support persons displaced in various communities and LGAs, stressing that persons in charge of relief materials and flood impact mitigation were very economical with the truth in terms of relief materials received from both the government and other individuals or organisations.
It said the state government was inadvertently encouraging rural-urban migration by concentrating support for IDPs in only one or two locations in the state capital to the exclusion of victims in rural areas.
Lamentations in Delta IDP
Over 500 victims of flood-ravaged Otu-Jeremi community located in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State have for almost two weeks been camped at Jeremi Primary School, Otu-Jeremi.
The Nation had reported that no fewer than 40 displaced persons were put together in most of the classrooms. One of the visited rooms reportedly had 30 children and 17 adults. Another one, as revealed by one Beauty Samuel with six children, had 20 adults with more than 20 children. The victims lamented inadequate meals and the terrible sleeping conditions in the camp which is yet to get recognition or any form of support from the state government.
On arrival at the camp on Thursday morning, our reporter observed that most parts of the school compound were flooded. Children were seen playing with sand near the entrance, while others played in the corridors of classrooms. Some women stirred big cooking pots on fire. Some elderly men who sat idly looked forlorn and lost in thoughts.
As the reporter took steps towards a dark complexioned man in the midst of a group of persons seated in one of the corridors, about four elderly men approached him. As they conversed in the local Urhobo dialect, our reporter observed that they had come to appreciate the man for his efforts in catering for everyone in the camp.
Our reporter would later find out that the man in question, Michael Oghenegueke, is the President-General of the community.
According to him, the community took the initiative to set up the camp after floods sacked most persons from their residence. He confirmed that the Delta State Government was yet to identify with the camp by way of providing relief materials.
But he said some non- governmental organizations had assisted them. He also disclosed that about N300,000 is spent daily to feed the flood victims.
He said: “From the beginning, the community sponsored the care for the people. That was about two weeks ago. No assistance came from the government. It is non-governmental people that assist us. In a day, it costs almost N300,000 to feed the people.”
Some elderly people who spoke with The Nation called for urgent government assistance.
Seventy-six-year-old Simeon Makava, a cassava and plantain farmer, said: ” Our houses are flooded, so we came here. We didn’t even know how we would get food, but the chairman has been making provision.
“We sleep on bare floor, no mattress, mosquitoes bite us daily and there is no special medical care.”
Pointing at his feet, he said they were swollen as a of walking about in the flooded camp. “To go to where I sleep and come out, I have to wade through water. We need the government to help us,” he said.
Robinson Obiyovwi, 77, said he had been involved in an accident before the flooding incident.
“The flood covered my house. I couldn’t pick anything. Before I left, the water there was up to here (he gestured at his waist). Government should help us”.
A builder, Robert Ogboru, 66, said: “We need government support in terms of food items so that we can have enough rations. We need as much help as we can get.”
middle-aged man added that some of them were commercial motorcycle riders but the flood “has spoilt our Okada”.
In another block of classrooms, many women and children were seen. A woman identified as Onome, was seen washing beans for moi-moi. Others sat attending to their children or engaged in some other things.
As the reporter tried to take pictures of the scene, they demanded to know why they were being filmed. But an exchange of pleasantries, they opened up, saying there were 30 children and 17 adults in the room.
Ifogbe Gloria, 61, said she was in the camp with two children. She said due to the flooded environment and accompanying mosquitoes, she was feeling feverish already.
Joy Pala, a mother of two-year-old twin girls, said: “We eat twice here and it is not enough when it (food) is served. There is no medical care. They only checked the blood pressure of old people yesterday (Wednesday)”.
Providence Abel, with four children, said: “Our community chairman really tried. Government has not given us anything. See, these children are yet to eat and it is almost noon.
“Our husbands’ can’t go to work because of the flood. We are stranded. We need government’s aid. Because we sleep on the bare floor, we are infected with cough and catarrh. Physically challenged Emmanuel Dogho, who appeared to be in his early 20s, said prior to the flood, he used to dance at parties to eke out a living. But since the flood disaster, he has been solely dependent on the provisions made in the camp.
Baby Kitona is 70 years old. She had made her own small fire, cooking pepper soup for herself and her five grandchildren when she was spotted.
Speaking in her local Urhobo language, she disclosed that they were very hungry and could not wait for the general food to be ready before having breakfast, so she used a small amount of money to get ingredients for the dish. This was at about 11:17 am.
Kitona also complained about the lack of mattresses and incessant mosquito bites, just as she begged the authorities to come to their aid.
According to records obtained from the National Senior Citizens Centre in the camp, as of Wednesday, the total number of children were 385, women were 127, while aged men and women were 43 and 65 respectively.
The record showed that a 93-year old was the oldest in the camp. But when asked to visit, an agent at the centre explained that some of the very aged people among the victims were moved out of the camp for health reasons.
Earlier, Oghenegueke had revealed that though health workers visit the camp, they never have drugs to administer to victims in need of them.
The President-General further added that in their own little way, to avert health hazards, “every morning we ask them to put the place in order, pick up the refuse; as you can see the place is not rough. We caution the people, especially the children, against entering the water.”
Task force allays fears
The Chairman, Flood Management and Mitigation Task Force, Hon. Iselema Gbaranbiri, while receiving some trucks of food items and relief materials for the IDPs, reassured the people that the distribution of relief materials to impacted communities in the state would be continuous until Bayelsans were satisfied.
Gbaranbiri, who is the state Commissioner for the Environment, said the state government was providing two square meals per day to displaced persons in various IDP camps in the state apart from providing medical services, water and other emergency aids.
Speaking with reporters on the cost of food and other items in the state, the commissioner said Governor Douye Diri had inaugurated a committee to interface with marketers in the state to bring down the cost of food items.
Gbaranbiri hinted that so far, no relief materials had been received by the state government from the Federal Government to alleviate the plight of the impacted local governments and communities in the state.
Rector, monarch build IDP camps, supply palliatives
Worried by the unabating flood that has destroyed properties worth several millions of naira and rendering hundreds of people homeless, the Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, Bayelsa State, Dr Agbabiaka Adegoke, in collaboration with the Paramount Ruler of that community, King Toboro Andy Godwill, Epete XI, has erected camps convenient for habitation by the displaced indigenes.
The flood has hindered the people who are traditionally farmers and fishermen from their livelihoods, as their farmlands have been submerged and crops swept away by the volatile flood.
King Godwill commended the magnanimity of Engr. Adegoke, who is just four months in office at the Federal Polytechnic, for identifying with the people of the community during the trying times.
The monarch said: “I, on behalf of the Ekowe community, whole-heartedly appreciate the efforts of the Rector who is not even an indigene of the state for his show of love and care for our people.
“The Rector collaborated with me to build the camps and provide relief materials such as rice, beans, garri and cooking ingredients for the impacted people who have lost their hard earned money they invested on their farmlands as well as personal belongings worth millions of naira.”
He called on representatives of the community at the state and National Assembly, private investors and humanitarian organisations as well as multinational companies operating in and around the community to come to the aid of the devastated people.
Displaying photographs of some houses that have been submerged by the flood, including his palace, King Toboro encouraged those who are displaced to have solace in God, believing that the situation would soon become a thing of the past.
A resident of the polytechnic town, who gave his name only as Ayibatari, thumbed up for the rector and the monarch for building the IDP camps in the area to help the indigenes and residents displaced in their hundreds.
Ayibatari said: “We are excited at what these two leaders have done for us. Our area is heavily flooded and hundreds of people have been displaced.
“At some point, there was a serious humanitarian crisis in the area before the Rector and the monarch in their magnanimity provided the IDP camps.
“If not for them, our displaced brothers and sisters would not have known where to go or what to do. The two did what the relevant authorities haven’t done or planned to do. We are so happy with them.
“Besides that, they provided relief items worth millions of naira to the inmates at the camps.”
Sympathy donations to victims
Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri set the ball rolling by approving initial N450m for the State Flood Mitigation and Management Task Force to provide more relief materials for the increasing number of flood victims across the state.
On Tuesday (this week), the governor approved another N450m, bringing the total amount approved and released to the committee so far to N900m.
Speaking on behalf of Governor Diri, the Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Ayibaina Duba, reiterated the administration’s commitment to providing succour to the victims of devastating flood and give lifeline to those who have lost everything, including houses and businesses, to the flood.
He said that the N900m would go a long way in procuring food and medicines for distribution to many citizens in the eight local government areas of the state who are running short of the initial basic provisions and food supplied to them by the state government.
He assured the people that government would also sustain the effective management of the IDP camps with about 20, 000 inmates. Azibapu, donated N350m worth of relief materials to alleviate the losses, pains and discomfort suffered by victims in the state.
The relief materials include food items, mosquito nets, mattresses, medicals and cold protective gadgets.
Eruani made the donation during the week when he paid a courtesy visit to the Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri at the Government House, Yenagoa.
The foremost Bayelsa industrialist empathised with Governor Diri over the devastation inflicted by the high tide of the flood on roads, public and private properties, farmlands, among others.
Eruani decried the tragic loss of lives, missing persons and the untold hardship faced by Nigerians, especially the people of Bayelsa State who had lost loved ones, properties and their means of livelihood.
He lauded Diri for the proactive measures deployed in handling the situation in the state.
The Azikel Chief Executive submitted that though the state witnessed floods in 2012, the current flooding was unimaginable considering the landslides and erosion that had washed away most coastal communities, with attendant high cost of goods and commodities caused by the ravaging flood.
Eruani advised that the immediate and post-flood challenges should not be left to the government alone and called on the federal government, international community, corporate bodies and donor agencies to help the state government overcome the present unfortunate situation.
He, however, urged families and victims impacted by the natural disaster not to dispair amidst the difficult moments, assuring them that the Azikel Group would stand with them in this trying times.
Also former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, former Governor Seriake Dickson and other organisations have donated money and different types of relief items to the victims through the state government.
While Atiku, who is the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), donated N55m, Emmanuel gave his government’s sympathy donation of N100m and Senator Dickson donated over N100m to flood victims.
Also, the Central Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy donated food items to flood victims worth millions of naira to Agudama community, its hosts in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state.
The donation of the food items was done by Rear Admiral Idi Abbas, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), CNC.
The items donated were cassava flour (garri), sachets of water, noodles, bread, rice, beverages and others.
The FOC said the donation was part of the Navy’s statutory responsibility to care, support and sympathise with the host in their trying times.
Diri urged to deploy ecological funds to help victims
A former Security Adviser in Bayelsa State, Chief Perekeme Kpodoh, has called on Governor Douye Diri to deploy ecological funds that accrued to the state to help victims of the ongoing floods in Bayelsa.
Kpodoh said it was time for Diri to utilise the billions he had so far collected as ecological funds to mitigate the damage done by the flood and to sufficiently ameliorate the suffering of the people.
He described as unacceptable the repeated call by Diri for federal government’s assistance, saying the governor should first show capacity with resources within his disposal.
He said: “People should hold Governor Douye Diri responsible and compel him to account for all the money he had received so far as ecological funds. Such money is meant for a time like this. It is not sufficient to be crying foul and seeking external assistance. What have you done with the resources available to you?
“Diri’s intervention was first belated and insufficient. There were warnings that Bayelsa and some other states would be flooded. But the governor went about his business without making provisions to mitigate the floods.
“Nothing was done. All the drains were not cleared. People were not sensitised and prepared to face the disaster. No higher grounds were built. We saw how the Kaduna State Government prepared its citizens before the floods.
“We also saw how the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, immediately set up a task force and released N1bn for only four local government areas affected by the flood. But the Bayelsa State Governor waited until the floods overtook the entire state killing helpless people before he released paltry N450m for relief materials”.
Kpodoh complained that the governor embarrassed Bayelsa following a viral video of people he sent to distribute relief materials dishing out one cup each of rice, beans and garri to the suffering and traumatised flood victims.
“We saw that video and we were embarrassed. It was unimaginable that an oil-rich state like Bayelsa would deepen the pains of its traumatised citizens in the time of disaster,” he said.
Kpodoh said Diri’s capacity in governance had been tested by the disaster but regretted that the governor had failed woefully by playing to the gallery and presenting himself to the world as a helpless weeping child.
He said the governor through his poor leadership style bungled a great opportunity presented by the floods to redeem his image and advised him to bury any thought of seeking reelection.