By Eunice Nnachi, Yenegoa
Against the backdrop of ravaging flood in Bayelsa, the traditional Rulers council yesterday lamented the destruction of lifetime saving furniture’s and priceless equipments inherited by their forefathers being rusted away by floods..
Chairman of Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council and Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom in Yenagoa local government, King Bubaraye Dakolo, in a press briefing, said over 90% of the traditional rulers in the state were displaced from at the peak of flood this year.
According to him, the 2022 flood has unleashed unprecedented havoc on the state and beyond, and also opened the floodgates of ignorance on the subject of the misery floodwaters,
He urged the Federal Government to help the state address some of the post flood ailments as the water recedes.
He said: “If you look from my left and right, you are actually looking at people who were internally displaced, lifetime saving of furniture’s and priceless equipments inherited by their forefathers completely rust away by flood waters.
“Most of them have to leave their domains and relocated as IDPs in Yenagoa, 90% of traditional rulers in Bayelsa State were victims of flood.
“I need not remind anyone that we well know that the oil and gas resources used to lubricate the wheels of governance in Nigeria come from the bowels of the land mass on which we stand. I mean from the bowels of the Niger Delta where Bayelsa State is located. We also need not reiterate that our kingdoms and clans, our flood ravaged kingdoms and clans, constitute crude oil blocs owned by persons and business concerns which regrettably, we do not own.
“Even though the gas flares are still burning-hot in our kingdoms despite the overwhelming floodwaters, federal government should use the monies from oil and gas extracted from here to provide succour and welfare for the teeming number of Bayelsans who are internally displaced, having been ravaged by the most devastating flood ever.
“We the royal fathers of Bayelsa State, have observed that not only did the 2022 flood unleash unprecedented havoc in Bayelsa State and beyond, it also opened the floodgates of ignorance on the subject of the misery floodwaters could unleash on a people who live on the flat arcuate lowlands adjacent the mighty Atlantic Ocean.
“Giving the wrong public perception of this year’s flood which is unarguably the worst ever to occur in the lives of the Ijaws of Bayelsa State, and perhaps others too, it has become absolutely necessary for the Royal Fathers of the State to speak out loud, so as to straighten the crooked records, and above all, jolt all concerned to do the work for which they are paid.
“We condemn the complete absence of agents of statutory Federal Government Agencies and Ministries saddled with the job of rendering assistance in our domains at times such as these. Rather we were seeing oil workers in their coveralls safe in their shuttles, going about their greasy, oily business, all over our flood ravaged State.
“Pitiably, there is no evidence yet about any intervention from the oil industry to the flood ravaged people of Bayelsa State also. Could it be that they also wished us all dead? Well, being natural swimmers, though distressed and displaced like never before, most us are still alive!While this type of calamity had never befallen our people, we had never imagined that this degree of extreme insensitivity and lack of interest would be displayed with respect to the survival and welfare of our peace people who are all fellow citizens of this great country for all to see at a time like this.
“While many persons were washed away outrightly by the ubiquitous fast flowing floodwaters with their corpses gone forever into the Atlantic Ocean and so never to be found, others, especially unsuspecting toddlers drowned right in their own flooded bedrooms.”
