Flood; Governor Dickson Describes Bayelsa as Worst Hit.

Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson says Bayelsa is the most impacted state in the country that has continued to suffer from the rising level of the flood in the last two weeks. Governor Dickson, who made the assertion during the visit of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke to Government House, Yenagoa, attributed the magnitude of the flood in the state to the geographical location, which places the state below sea level coupled with the fact that major rivers and tributaries empty into the Atlantic Ocean through the state.

Describing the flood as “a tragedy of monumental and unimaginable proportion”, the Governor said the water level is still rising at a rate that was threatening even the government House. Hon Dickson, who informed the Minister that the challenge ahead of government is enormous as the ravaging flood has created a crisis that has many dimensions, saying that communication facilities and other public structures have all collapsed.

The temporary camps set up to accommodate flood victims, he observed are being threatened by water and in the next couple of days government would have no alternative but to resettle them. The state Chief Executive stated that government was already dealing with the issue of security of lives and property of the people coupled with shortage of food.

According to the Governor, prices of food stuff have sky-rocketed due to the fact that parts of the East-West Road have been  submerged in water and that as an aftermath of the flood the state is likely to contend with famine. Governor Dickson, who appreciated the efforts of the Federal Government at addressing flooding across the country, added that he would accompany President Goodluck Jonathan to overfly the state.

Earlier, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke said she was in the state to see the flood situation for herself. The Minister expressed shock at the extent of the flood, stating that she overflew her village, Yenaka and other communities in a chopper but could not land as the area has been completely submerged by the flood water.

Describing the situation as a major tragedy, the minister commended the state government for taking proactive measures to alleviate the plight of flood victims. While noting that the state was facing a major scourge as hygiene and health conditions of the people are beginning to deteriorate, Mrs Madueke stressed the need for effective cooperation with the state government to tackle the situation.