•••SAYS STATE NOT AMONG 10 MOST AFFECTED BY FLOOD
In a glaring downplay of the crushing devastation caused by the rampaging flood in Bayelsa State, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouk, has said that the state is not among the 10 most affected by flood in the state.
The Bayelsa State capital, Yenagoa, and virtually all the eight local governments are currently submerged by the unprecedented flood.
The raging flood waters destroyed had washed off major roads in and out of the state thereby isolating it from other parts of the Nigeria.
The State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, had directed workers to be a temporary break since the flood situation worsened and it took over the roads of the state capital.
On Wednesday, a tearful Senior Pastor of Dumanis International Church, Pastor Paul Enenche, who had an aerial view of the destruction wreaked by the flood challenged all men of good conscience to visit the state.
However, Sadiya Farouk said while appearing on the Ministerial Media Briefing organized by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday that Jigawa is the worse affected.
The Network investigation reveals that Minister has not visited Bayelsa State to ascertain the extent of damage caused by flood waters.
Rather she had remained in Abuja to downplay the humanitarian disaster caused by the flood.
Farouk was reacting to a recent claim by the Leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, who criticized her for the slow response to flood affected states of the South South.
“We have a humanitarian minister that is not humane, who was only active to carryout school feeding of school children who were confined to their homes during the COVID-19 lockdown.
“In such an urgent situation of ravaging flood, she has decided to maintain a disquieting quietness. Bodies like the National Emergency Agency (NEMA), were not able to take proactive measures.
“Where is the mother of the nation, the First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari? Her fellow women are in deep agony, seeing their children dying of starvation and treatable minor illnesses, because there is no medication.” Clark had said
The minister insisted that it is not true that she is inhuman as claimed by the elder statesman arguing that she is doing her best to deal with the flood situation which is a national issue.
“We are in all the states. Myself, I’ve not been to all the states and you mentioned this issue of the Humanitarian Minister not being humane, this is a natural issue that we are facing and I think, with every sense of responsibility, I’m carrying out my duties to the best of my abilities, the best I can in service to this nation and in service to humanity and I think by mere looking at me, you know I’m humane.
“Almost all of Bayelsa, but it will also interest you to know that Bayelsa is not even amongst the 10 most hit. I think Jigawa is number one and we have taken intervention to Bayelsa and it’s still ongoing. We’re using the Nigerian Air Force to access the inaccessible areas.
“These are natural disasters, we just hope and pray that we don’t see that again. It is a global phenomenon and the government is up and doing in this regard.”
The Network investigation revealed that the minister has not visited the state.