Duoye Diri, the governor of Bayelsa State, has bemoaned the difficulties flooding has caused across the nation and its detrimental effects.
At a Sunday emergency security council meeting in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa governor stated that not even the government building is completely secure.
In response to the raging flood that has already claimed lives and damaged property in many states, Diri petitioned the federal government to declare a state of emergency.
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The governor stated that this year’s flooding has eclipsed that of 2012, which is the highest we have seen thus far, in a statement released by his chief press secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah.
“Bayelsa is below sea level and when the flood comes, virtually everywhere is flooded. Even the Government House is being threatened.”
Governor Diri continued by lamenting the fact that, despite the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike having come to an end and students preparing to return to class, the Bayelsa State University cannot reopen since the road leading to it has been cut off by the flood.
He claimed that the change has closed off Bayelsa from the states of Rivers and Delta.
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“As we speak, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called off its strike. But as universities are opening, our own state university cannot open because the only road linking the university has been broken into three parts.
“The only road that links Opokuma and Sabagreia in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area and the only one also connecting Sagbama to Ekeremor that is still under construction has been broken. There is hunger and palpable tension in the state,” he said.
The state government built a water channel in the Okutukutu and Opolo axis of Yenagoa, according to rumors, but the governor denied that it was done to safeguard the property of any specific individuals.
Instead, he claimed that the action is a part of measures to lessen the state’s exposure to flooding.
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He said, “Let me also use this opportunity to clear the air on the issue of the Okutukutu and Opolo water channel project that was done last year by the state government to check flooding in that area.
“There is some ignorant narrative out there that it was done to protect the property of some people. The state government did not take that action for any particular interest. This is not the time to settle political scores but a time to be our brother’s keeper. We must all join hands to tackle this problem.”
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