By Daniels Igoni

Some Bayelsa State residents displaced by flood have berated the state government for abandoning them to their fate without relief materials.

The victims, who spoke during an assessment tour by the Federated Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, lamented that the state government showed no concern since the disaster rendered them homeless.

Speaking to our correspondent, Pastor Fentongha Marcus, who resided in flooded Akenfa community, said he was disappointed that the state government did not give succour to the displaced victims.

He said, “As a Bayelsan, I will tell you that I am disappointed with the state government for not showing any concern. We don’t have a government in place because the main purpose of government is to take care of the people.”

Another resident, Eniye Unity, 57, said she and her 78-year-old husband and six children were sacked from their house over a month ago.

“Our children sleep in the house of someone who accommodated them, while my husband is putting up in another person’s house.

“Somebody gave me this place and helped me to roof it to enable me to fry and sell plantain to survive because of our condition,” Eniye said.

Another victim, Marvelous Abel, lamented that his elder brother’s house where he lived was also submerged by flood.

He said, “We have nowhere to go. We cannot afford hotel accommodation. We sleep on top of sticks that we arrange, while the six children in the house are now with our grandmother elsewhere.”

The residents appealed to the state government to pity those displaced by the disaster, saying the hardship had become unbearable.

The state Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Ayibaina Duba, said the government had set up a committee headed by the secretary to the state government to carry out needs assessment for an adequate response.

Duba added, “For IDPs, you know that when you gather people in one place, it will be difficult for them to return home. When the committee is done, the government will know what to do.”

Originally published at Punch