Flood Ravages Otuoke

Residents of the home town of the former president Goodluck Jonathan has called on Bayelsa State government to come to their aid as flood ravaged the area.

News Agency of Nigeria reports that motorist plying the Otuoke-Onuebum Road in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State had to pass through Elebele Road because flood has taken over their usual route.

Amos Agah, a staff of the Federal University, Otuoke, said the incident has been consistent and pleaded with the government to assist the community.

Agah said: “This was how it happened in October 2012 when flood took over the whole community. But up till now, there was no proper preventive measure put in place. We are expecting the government to come up with necessary measures to guard against future occurrence, but it is a matter of regret that such measures are not in place.

“The students of FUO will resume to school soon after their holidays. They are going to find things difficult if urgent action is not taken to mitigate the effect of the flood.”

“I am calling on all relevant authorities to look into the matter because we cannot cope with it again this year.”

He added that passengers are now paying N800 instead of N400 from Otuoke to Onuebum.

Another passenger, Maureen Abute who spoke with NAN blamed the Bayelsa State Government for not properly utilising Flood Intervention Fund that was given to the state in 2012 to fight against flooding.

Abute said the people were suffering and they could not do anything because the government was not ready to live up to its responsibility of preventing flood and rehabilitating the road.

A taxi driver plying the road, Issac Chinedum, said the road was already in a bad shape before the flood sub-merged it.

Chinedum implored the Federal Government to come to the assistance of the people of Bayelsa State because the Bayelsa State Government had neglected the road over the years.

Chinedum said the youth in the community were the ones sand filling the road, adding: “The commercial drivers are paying them from the little profit they are making.”