Nigerian president's house bows to flood

9:28 AM

                             
Bayelsa state Governor,Henry Seriake Dickson yesterday ordered the immediate evacuation of President Goodluck Jonathan’s kinsmen in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, even as the President’s country home was not spared by the rampaging flood that has submerged the community.
The concerned residents were sacked by the flood which in the last three weeks has rendered thousands of people in the state homeless, and property, worth millions of naira, destroyed. Assessing the level of damage during his visit to the affected areas, the Governor, through his Deputy, Rear Admiral Gborubiogha John Jonah (rtd), ordered the evacuation of the affected residents to one of the relief camps in the community.The evacuation, according to him, became imperative against the background of the hardship the residents have been subjected to, and to avert the outbreak of epidemic in the area. Dickson added that government was taking pro-active measures to mitigate the impact of the rising level of water. Commiserating with the victims, the Governor assured that no stone would be left untouched at ensuring that the victims bounced back to life, especially those that had lost their means of livelihood. He told the natives that government had ordered the importation of seedlings in readiness for the next planting season in order to prevent food shortage.It can be recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan, during his visit to the relief camps in his home state assured the victims of government’s support in ameliorating their suffering. Investigations revealed that about 85 per cent of Bayelsa State has so far been submerged by the flood
I will soon be a refugee – Bayelsa Governor
Meanwhile, Governor Dickson during an interactive session with journalists last night said he was shocked to discover that the president’s house, occupied during the two day official visit to tour flood ravaged areas has been submerged.He noted that his former federal constituency office had also been swallowed by the flood. He said the state government house might be the next on the line to be submerged.
He said: “Very soon, I may become a refugee like many other displaced persons in the state.” He said he had contacted the president on the development and requested assistance from the chief of army staff for military engineers to assist in the rebuilding efforts.


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