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…Condoles with families over loss of children in Warri North
…As he promises relief materials
Touched by the plights of victims of the ravaging flood in Delta State, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has undertaken a tour of some affected communities in the state to ascertain the extent of devastation and the needs of the affected victim with a view to sending relief materials and also attempting to address the problem in the long term.
The Senator who represents Delta Central in the Red Chamber, paid a visit to the Ogbeafor internally displaced persons camp in Asaba, the Delta State capital on Friday October 4, 2019, expressed concern about the plight of the displaced persons, assuring them that he will do all that is necessary within his capability to send relief materials to assist in ameliorating their conditions, just as he promised to work with relevant agencies to fashion out a permanent solution to the perennial problem of flood in some parts of the state.
The Deputy President of the Senate who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on non-governmental organizations and civil societies organizations, Princess Modupe Ozolua, said that having been attracted to the plight of the victims through the media, decided to have an on-the-spot assessment of the flooding situation in Delta State to see how he could intervene to address some of their needs.
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Addressing the IDPs in Asaba, the SSA to the Deputy President of the Senate, said that “This fact-finding visit is to enable us bring stakeholders together for adequate support for the IDPs”, adding that “Senator Omo-Agege cares much about the plight of the IDPs and he will do everything possible to assist you to enable you resettle back to your homes when the floods recede.”
Speaking at the occasion, the Ogbeafor IDP Camp Commandant, Mr. Okpo Daniel, thanked the Deputy President of the Senate for his interest in the welfare of the flood victims, saying that there were six communities who were seriously affected by the flood with a total of 1,200 internally displaced persons in the camp. According to him, although the state government has provided logistics in the camp, the IDPs need the assistance of well-meaning individuals and NGOs, CSOs and religious bodies as government cannot do it alone.
“The state government provides all the logistics in the camp but they cannot do it alone, hence the need for assistance from well-meaning individuals, corporate bodies, NGOs, civil societies organizations and religious bodies to augment the effort of the government”, the commandant said, adding that the IDPs need “food items, clothing, drugs, cooking utensils, toiletries, provisions, mattresses and everything that human being needs to live.”
The commandant also confirmed that attention was being paid to the education needs of the IDPs children, adding that they run normal academic calendars in the camp just like their counterparts in various schools across the state.
Two IDPs, Mr. Precious Ogboogu Ikedi from Oko Odifu, one of the flood ravaged areas and Miss Favour Luke from Power Line communities respectively, said they were comfortable at the camp but they earnestly anticipate their quick return to their communities.
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Also speaking at the occasion, the Director-General of the State Emergency Relief Agency, SEMA, Mr. Karo Ovemeso, said that the agency has opened 12 IDP camps in the state, adding that there are four camps in Asaba just as he said that the number of IDPs keeps increasing daily as the flood spreads.
He however called on the federal government to construct more dams in some parts of the country to contain the volume of water that results from flood annually.
Earlier, the Deputy President of the Senate, expressed satisfaction with the level of orderliness IDPs and the SEMA officials especially in the coordination of the camp.
The assessment team also visited the riverine communities of Opuama and Tsekelewu in Egbema kingdom in Warri North Local Government Area on Saturday October 5, 2019 where three children lost their lives to the flood water, including devastation of farm lands, fish ponds, schools, churches and homes in the area.
At the Opuama community where the team first visited, it was gathered that about 1,000 persons who were affected by the flood were either squatting with relatives whose homes were not affected or have relocated to stay with their relatives in Sapele pending when the flood water recedes. The assessment team was conducted round flooded school classrooms, residential buildings, churches and several fish ponds including devastated cassava farms including plantain farms.
Speaking during a Town hall meeting shortly after the inspection tour of the community, Senator Omo-Agege who was represented by the Special Assistant on NGOs and CSOs, Princess Modupe Ozolua, said that the Senator was touched by the plight of the flood victims in the area, adding that he had decided to send an advance team for an assessment of the level of devastation and the needs of community with a view to sending relief materials to alleviate their plights because he cares. She therefore requested for a comprehensive list of their immediate needs to enable the Senator make provision for relief materials.
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Responding on behalf of the community, Hon. Apostle Godday Omoko who is also the Deputy Leader of Warri North Local Government Council legislative house, disclosed that the effect of the flood on the community this year was unprecedented, adding that it was the first time flood water has risen to the level that the entire community was submerged in water.
He said: “This is a very highland, we have never experienced this kind of flood since the existence of this community. The activities of oil and gas companies in the area is helping to sink the community and that is why this year’s flood affected the community in a different dimension. We have not had this type of flood in our area before.”
On the immediate needs of the community, Hon. Omoko stated that they need food items, mattresses, water and drugs for the community cottage hospital. He however added that in the long term, the government should sand-fill the community to raise it up to prevent flooding, construct foreshore walls, employ medical doctors to manage the only cottage hospital in the community, provide electricity and communication facilities for the people so that they can live meaningful lives.
“The only remedy and solution that we are looking for is to sand fill this community. We have not felt the presence of the federal government here upon all the oil they are taking from the community. We don’t have doctors to take care of the only cottage hospital which the government gave to us. There is no potable water here. Those stand pipes you see are just there for nothing. We are begging the federal government to come to our aid.
“It is like we don’t have anybody that is representing us both in the federal and state government to speak on our behalf. Nobody has come here to see us since the flood began. That is the problem we are facing here. Now that you have come to see for yourself, tell the government that we are really suffering. We need light and water. A sachet of water here is N50. The federal government has been taking oil from this community since 40 years now but we are the ones suffering”, Hon. Omoko said.
Responding, the SSA to the Deputy President of the Senate, Princess Modupe Ozoluo who led the team informed the community that she was sent by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege to come for the assessment of the damage done to the community due to the ravaging flood.
She said: “Senator Ovie Omo-Agege heard about the flooding in Opuama and Tsekelwu communities. And he sent me here. So, the reason I’m here is to see exactly what has happened and to speak to you one on one. He wants me to find out what your immediate needs are. And then suggestions from all of you as to long term solutions. So, what I need now from you is a list of your immediate needs so Senator Omo-Agege can arrange for relief assistance and also a documentation of a long-term solutions.
“Even though this is not the Senatorial district of Senator Omo-Agege, but he is a leader, he is a father and he is concerned. And that is why he sent me here. So, while he sent his condolences for the loss of lives and property you had, he also promised to come back to provide relief materials.”
Thanking the Senator for his kind gesture on behalf of the community, Hon. Wilson Godwin said: “On behalf of the community, elders and women, we thank the Deputy President of the Senate for showing concern to our plights. We sincerely appreciate him for his kind gesture for coming to our aid.”
In a chat with the only medical doctor in the cottage hospital in the community, Dr. Isaac Ofomota Aghogho, he said that: “I’m Dr. Isaac Ofomota Aghogho. The flood in the community is disrupting our services here in this medical facility. Right now, our theatre is flooded. The few cases of operation we did recently, we couldn’t use our theatre and so we have to improvise for it. The female ward and male ward are also flooded. And some of our equipment are also affected where we kept them. We need drugs to attend to patients who are coming with cold-related diseases in the hospital.”
At the home of Mr. and Mrs. Enoch Kin who lost a two-year only daughter of the family, the couple were in a mourning mood. Mr. Kin narrated that the child fell into the water when the parents were not at home, saying that nobody envisaged the disaster as the community has never been flooded this way before. For Mr. David Suku who lost two male children of ages 4 and 6 years, who were both in nursery two and primary two, it was a devastating blow to him.
They appealed to the government to relocate the community to higher ground, adding that every year now the flood level keeps increasing.
“This community should be relocated, there should be land relocation so that they can build on high planes such that whenever it rains heavy they will not be affected because they cannot run away from the community”, they suggested.
The SSA to the Deputy President of the Senate expressed sympathy with the families, adding that the Senator sent his heart-felt condolences, adding that “it is only God that can comfort you. His Excellency, Senator Omo-Agege was very much disturbed with the news of the loss of lives and has sent his condolences to you. Hopefully, he will come back again.”
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Speaking with newsmen shortly after the tour of Tsekelewu, Hon. Markson Aboh Polobubo who is a Councilor from the ward disclosed that the combined population of affected persons in the two communities of Opuama and Tsekelewu was in the neighborhood of 3,500, adding that although there is no IDP camps to relocate the victims to, they prefer to remain in their flooded homes or squat with neighbours who are not affected or travel to Sapele to stay with relatives until the water dries up.
It would be recalled that Opuama and Tsekelewu, two Ijaw-speaking communities in Egbema kingdom of Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State has played host to several oil flow stations for over four decades now, and from information gathered, neither the oil companies operating in the area who signed Memorandum of Understanding, MoUs, with the communities without abiding by them, the government nor representatives of the communities in the State and National Assembly had so far showed concerns about the plight of the people.
