Members of the Rivers and Bayelsa State caucus in the House of Representatives rose from an emergency meeting expressing disappointment with the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Mrs Sadiya Umar over the decision to exempt the South-South geo-political zone as among the worse-hit areas affected by flood in the country.

The caucus led by Mr Agbedi Yeitimone Frederick at a press conference at the National Assembly complex in Abuja called on the Minister to resign her appointment for failing to address the effect of flood on communities in the country and particularly in the Niger Delta region

The lawmakers urged President Muhamadu Buhari to sack the minister should she fail to resign for failing in her responsibility to bring succour to the affected victims

The lawmakers regretted the Minister’s utterances that Bayelsa is not among the top 10 most affected states by the 2022 flood that is currently ravaging some states in the country.

The minister was reported to have made the comments in response to the plea from elder statesman Chief E.K. Clark, leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum imploring the Federal Government to act quickly by immediately providing relief materials to the victims of the flood in the Niger Delta State, especially in Bayelsa.

But the caucus faulted Umar’s claims that Bayelsa was not among the most ravaged states saying reports from the flood management committee and traditional rulers indicate that thousands are wounded and hundreds of citizens have 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,” he stated

The lawmakers maintained that It is an undeniable fact that Bayelsa State is not only cut off from the 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 is therefore saddening to see a disaster been turned to the usual dirty politics of some public office holders taking advantage of every situation to subjugate some regions of the country by telling blatant falsehood.”

The caucus urged the minister to visit the affected areas to get firsthand information and empathize with the victims instead of “relying on some armchair statistician from far away Abuja to paint a fake picture to Nigerians.”
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