Floods: Niger Delta Caucus calls for resignation of Humanitarian Minister

The Niger Delta Caucus of Nigeria’s House of Representatives has called on the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq to resign her appointment as Minister

The group made the call on Monday in reaction to the Humanitarian Minister’s declaration that Jigawa state was the most-hit state in the 2022 flood disaster

The group told the House of Representatives Press Corps at the National Assembly in Abuja, the nation’s capital that their attention had been drawn to an address by the Minister on the 3rd of November, 2022 where she said Bayelsa State is not amongst the top 10 most affected states by the 2022 flood that is currently ravaging some states in the country.

“We call on the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster. Management and Social Development to honourably resign her appointment as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, failing which Mr President should relieve her of her appointment immediately.”

They noted that the Minister’s assumption is based on the following;

1. The number of deaths and displaced persons per state.
2. The number of injured.
3. The number of partially damaged houses.
4. The number of totally damaged houses.
5. The number of farmlands totally and partially damaged.

According to the Niger Delta Caucus, the Minister put the number of persons injured in Bayelsa State at 81 and the number of deaths at 91.

“The Minister is wrong. Reports from the Flood Management Committee and traditional rulers indicate that, thousands are wounded and hundreds of our citizens died. Infact even one dead person is enough for our country to show responsibility and sympathy to her people. We wish to bring to the Minister’s attention, that the entire Niger Delta States of Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa ibom, Edo, Imo and Cross River are highly impacted. The comments of the Minister are at variance with the statement of the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Matthias Schmale who declared Bayelsa a disaster zone.

“It is an undeniable fact that Bayelsa State is not only cut off fromthe rest of the country but 80% of the landmass at peak of the flood was submerged with over 70% of the inhabitants displaced as a result of the flood. It suffices to state, that there are glaring evidence that has shown the world where the flood is worst hit in Nigeria, testimonies from highly placed Nigerians who visited the state, of the devastating effect of the flood. Even the Cable News Network and Aljazeera on the 17th and 26th of October, 2022 respectively aired it. The Shell-Gbarain Ubie Gas Gathering Plant in Bayelsa State (1 billion Standard Cubic feet of gas and up to Seventy Thousand barrels of oil per day) the largest in west Africa was affected by the flood necessitating the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Plant at Bonny Island in Rivers State to declare a force Majeure.“

They also noted that Bayelsa State is the only state that could not be linked by road to the western flank of Nigeria through Delta State and to the eastern flank of Nigeria through Rivers State

They added that almost the entire State has been under water with all schools, including the Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Niger Delta Teaching Hospital, Federal University, Otueke, University of Africa, Toru-Orua and Federal Polytechnic Ekowe closed down.

The Niger Delta Caucus further explained that the State could only be connected through the waterways or by air.

They also commended the Governor of Bayelsa and other Niger Delta States, for displayingthe  much-needed leadership in the face of the crisis

The group added that individually and collectively, they have been involved in providing relief materials to victims of the disaster.

They, therefore, called on the Nigerian government to assist more flood victims.

The Niger Delta Caucus members at the event were; Agbedi Yeitiemone Frederick, Prof. Steve S. Azaiki, Obua Azibapu Fred, Israel Sunny Goli, Preye Influence Oseke, Solomon Bob, Abiante Awaji-Inombek Dagomie, Kingsley Uju, Umana Aniofiok, Alex Egbuna, Dumnamene Dekor, Johnson Oguma and the entire members of the Niger Delta Members of the National Assembly.

It would be recalled that on last week Thursday, November 3, 2022, at the Ministerial Media Briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team held in Abuja, the Minister stated that from an assessment carried out by the ministry, Bayelsa was not among the top ten most affected states by the recent floods.

She made the comment in reaction to elder statesman and leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, who implored the Federal Government to act to save flood victims in the Niger Delta region

The ministry said the criteria used to arrive at the conclusion were based on the following indices: the number of deaths recorded and displaced persons per state, number of injuries, partially damaged, houses totally damaged, and farmlands partially and totally damaged.

PIAK