Flood: Stop Disturbing Federal Government, Deploy Ecological Funds To Help Victims – Kpodoh Tells Gov. Diri

A Former Security Adviser to Bayelsa State Government, Chief Perekeme Kpodoh, has called on Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State to deploy ecological funds that accrued to the State to help flood victims in the State.

Kpodoh, in a statement in Yenagoa the state capital on Thursday, stated that it was time for Gov. Diri to use the billions of naira he had received so far, as ecological funds from the federation account to mitigate the damage done by the ravaging flood to sufficiently ameliorate the sufferings of the people of the state.

Kpodoh described the repeated calls on the federal government by the state government, seeking for assistance as unnecessary and unacceptable, saying that the governor should first show capacity with the resources in his disposal from the federation account.

“Bayelsans should hold Governor Douye Diri responsible for lack of adequate assistance to flood victims in the state, and compel him to account for all the money he had received so far as ecological funds from the federation account, adding that such funds are meant for trying times like this.

“It is clearly an indication of irresponsibility and incompetence of governance by Gov. Diri to be crying wolf, seeking for federal government plus external organizations assistance to ameliorate the suffering of flood victims in the state, stressing that what has the state government done with the resources available.

“Gov. Diri’s intervention was belated and insufficient, stressing that there were early warnings that Bayelsa and other States would be flooded but, the governor ignored the warnings without making provisions to mitigate the ravaging perennial flooding.

“Nothing was done by Gov. Diri, stressing that all the drains were not cleared, and people were not sensitized to prepare to face the disaster, adding that his counterpart Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State proactively sensitized and prepared its citizens to face the ravaging perennial flooding.

“We also saw how Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State after the warnings immediately set up flood management committee, and released one billion naira for only four local government areas affected by the devasting flood situation.

“Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State waited until the flood overtook the entire state destroying properties, businesses, farmlands and killed helpless citizens before he released paltry four hundred and fifty million naira for relief materials.

Kpodoh stated that the governor embarrassed the state, watching a viral video of people he sent to distribute the relief materials to various communities and local government areas dishing out one cup of rice, beans and garri to citizens greatly affected by the ravaging flood, stressing that Gov. Diri should be ashamed of himself.

“Myself and other Bayelsans watched the viral video, and we were embarrassed by the shame brought upon the people of the state by the present administration, stressing that it was unimaginable that an oil-rich state such as Bayelsa would deepen the pains of its traumatized citizens in such a trying time of disaster” he said.

Kpodoh stated that Gov. Diri’s capacity and competence in governance had been tested by the ravaging flood disaster, expressing with regrets added that the governor has failed woefully by playing to the gallery presenting himself to the world as a helpless weeping child.

Kpodoh stated that the governor with his poor style of leadership mismanaged and bungled a great opportunity presented by the devasting flood situation to redeem his image, adding that the governor should bury any thought of seeking for re-election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had directed relevant agencies of the federal government to respond to flood victims, which according to Gov. Diri over one million residents had been displaced in the state.

NAN reports that the Presidential Amnesty Programme and the National Emergency Response Agency have donated relief materials to the state government to ameliorate residents affected by the devasting flood situation.