The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted a likelihood of a three days thunderstorm from Monday September 30th, 2024 to Wednesday September 2nd, 2024, in various parts of Nigeria.
NiMet’s weather outlook released on Sunday, September 29th, 2024, in Abuja envisages localized thunderstorms in some states including Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River, Delta, Lagos, and Akwa Ibom States and others.
The Nigeria hydrological services Agency (NIHSA), had also informed that there is a continuous increase in the water level between Thursday 19th to Tuesday 24th September 2024 in the River Niger.
Although the Bayelsa state government earlier in July directed its directorate for flood and erosion control to begin the process of identifying more higher grounds for flood relief camps across the state, the issue of flash flooding continues to pose a threat to Bayelsans.
Against this backdrop, Chief Ofoni Williams, a Chieftain of the All-Progressive- Congress APC in Bayelsa state who spoke to Niger Delta Correspondent yesterday said that Bayelsa state needs a safe ground as it concerns the potential flooding.
“Bayelsa state government seems to compound the issue because it's not properly paged on the subject matter. Expressing participation had not gone beyond distribution of relief materials year in year out or at best award of ritualistic political patronage contracts to desilt drains at the state capital. As Bayelsa state government is of the view that the state is prepared to address and mitigate perennial floods of 2024 by moving citizens to high grounds. One is forced to ask, where are the high grounds within the state? Secondly, what is the state of the high grounds in question that people should be moved to by Bayelsa state government?’’
He also noted with dismay that the government approved structures erected on natural water channels, saying that government is liable for these actions.
“The state is in total darkness, people are doing whatever they like, some are of the habit of dumping refuse in the canal which is also a contributory factor to the flash flood. The regulation authorities are not doing the needful because people are building on canals’’.
He called on the government of Bayelsa state to be pragmatic and critical on developmental planning, adding that Bayelsans are yet to understand the policy drive of the government.
