Rivers vows to settle flood victims

As Reps flay minister for underrating disaster
Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Chris Finebone, has said the state government is committed to restoring flood victims to normal life.

The commissioner, who stated this in Port Harcourt yesterday, also noted that Governor Nyesom Wike’s administration had started winding down effectively.

Finebone added that the administration was also working to help its successor build on its successes, saying the government would serve the people till the last minute of its exit on May 29, 2023.

He said that contrary to the failure of the last administration in 2015 to hand over, plans were on to ensure proper handover to the next administration.

Finebone said: “This is so because government cannot afford to repeat the kind of chaotic situation deliberately masterminded by that administration. Instead, this government will like to end strong and help incoming administration benefit from the momentum of performance and organisation entrenched and bequeathed by the Wike administration.

“It is important to remind us all that this government has a little fewer than seven months to leave office. That means that the government has effectively started to wind down. However, since government is a continuum and the protection of lives and property is the onerous task of government, it means that we are bound to continue serving the people to the very last minute of this tenure.”

MEANWHILE, members of Rivers and Bayelsa caucus in the House of Representatives have, at an emergency meeting, flayed the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Mrs Sadiya Umar, for declaring that South South geo-political zone is not among the worst affected areas by flood.

The caucus, led by Mr. Agbedi Yeitimone Frederick, at a post-meeting 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, particularly in the Niger Delta region.

The lawmakers urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the minister if she fails to resign for allegedly failing in her responsibility to bring succour to flood victims.

The lawmakers regretted, particularly, the minister’s claim that Bayelsa is not among 10 most-affected states.