Flood: Sylva visits Bayelsa IDP camps, seeks collaborative efforts

YENAGOA — The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva has visited Bayelsa State over the flood disaster that ravaged the state, lamenting the devastation of infrastructures and private investments, TheSun Newspaper reports. 

According to him, the devastation across Bayelsa State which has touched on the livelihood of the people is “unbelievable and heartbreaking.”

Sylva, who disclosed that he has been out of the country, said he was in the state to commiserate with displaced victims.

He explained that his two-day visit would be on behalf of the NCDMB and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Sylva in company of the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Simbi Wabote visited the damaged portion of the Amassoma road, East/ West Road, Igbogene and Ox-Bow Lake Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Bayelsa State.

He disclosed that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has directed the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Niger Delta Affairs Ministry to ensure that damaged roads in the region are repaired expeditiously.

Sylva, a former governor of the state, however called for a collective permanent solution to the perennial flooding in the state.

“We must look for some kind of solution to this problem which has bedevilled us year on and year out.

“We have to work together as a people and leave our political differences, we are not here to campaign, this is not about any campaign, this is about Nigeria and the wellbeing of Nigerians and that is why we have come here and the FEC has directly taken steps to ensure this devastation that we see here is ameliorated as quickly as possible. 

“But going beyond that we must find a permanent and lasting solution to this problem and this we can only do as a people together, not minding our political differences.

“Every year at a certain time we are faced with this same problem unfortunately we have not found a lasting solution to this problem. While we are doing so we also take cognisant of the fact that people are suffering. As I came here what I have seen with my own eyes is very bad, the condition of our people is absolutely deplorable, we should not always politicize everything. This is beyond politics.

“When the flood comes the flood doesn’t know the house of an APC or PDP man so as Bayelsans we must come together and solve this problem because we come from here.”

Items donated on behalf of the NCDMB to the camps at Ox-Bow Lake, Swali and Igbogene include bags of rice, garri, mattress, palm oil, mosquito net, sugar, vegetable oil, tomatoes, spaghetti and salt.

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