Photos as Nigerian Governor Walks on Flooded Road, Declares 7-day Rest for Workers
- Civil servants in Bayelsa have been given a 7-day rest by the state government due to the ravaging floods
- The state government in a statement released by Governor Douye Diri on Tuesday, October 18, gave the directive
- Governor Diri lamented that the disaster has destroyed a lot of state infrastructure with many residents and communities displaced
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Bayelsa - Following the flood ravaging Bayelsa communities and displacing residents, the state government on Tuesday, October 18, declared a seven-day rest for workers.
The declaration came after Governor Douye Diri personally went to some affected communities in the state to see for himself the extent of damage done by the flood.
Source: Twitter
He wrote on his Twitter page on Friday, October 14:
"I was very disturbed with what I witnessed yesterday when I visited the flooded Sagbama town and Tungbo community both in Sagbama LGA. Our government sympathizes with all affected people. We will do our best to support them."
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Making the declaration in a live broadcast on Tuesday, Governor Diri admitted that the state was facing a humanitarian crisis as more than one million persons have been displaced in local governments like Sagbama, Ekeremor, Southern Ijaw, Ogbia, Yenagoa, Nembe, and Kolokuma Opokuma.
Governor Diri disclosed that businesses have been shut down in these areas, properties have been lost and farmlands destroyed.
Diri added that over 300 communities in the state were internally displaced with several deaths reported.
He noted that infrastructure like hospitals, roads, bridges, and schools, including the state-owned Niger Delta University in Amassoma, the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri, and the University of Africa, Toru-Orua, were also severely affected.
Bayelsa governor begs FG for help
In desperation, the governor said the magnitude of the disaster is not such that the state government can handle on its own and called on the federal government as well as multinational firms to come to their aid, Leadership reports.
He said:
“We urgently solicit the support of Multinationals, International Donor Agencies, the Red Cross, Diplomatic Missions and people of goodwill to come to the aid of our state.
“I appeal to Mr. President to consider special grants to the state from the Stabilisation Fund, Ecological Fund and Natural Resources Fund. Over the last few days, floods have overwhelmed our communities and severely impacted the lives and livelihood of our people. This is a natural disaster that has affected many other states of the Federation to various degrees. I have been on a tour of several of our communities to see at first hand the extent of destruction. Our experience has shown that the flood water empties into our state.
“I hereby direct all Public Servants except those on essential duties to be given time off from work for the next one week. Let me make a special appeal to vendors, particularly of fuel, food, water and pharmaceuticals not to exploit the situation. We must be our brothers’ keeper.”
Flood crisis: Talented Bayelsa artist wails, postpones exhibition, shares photos as water takes over studio
It seems that Bayelsa is the worst-hit state when it comes to the ongoing flood disaster that is ravaging most riverine areas in Nigeria.
The natural disaster is taking its toll on businesses and other aspects of people's lives, some of whom are already displaced.
A very talented artist in the state, Angalapele Tombara Samson, a native of Yenagoa LGA, who spoke with Legit.ng on Tuesday, October 18, lamented that he has been forced to postpone till further notice his exhibition initially slated for October 27th-30th and November 3rd to 6th.
Source: Legit.ng
