- Darah Charges Religious Bodies, NGOs, Others To Respond To Plight Of Victims
In compliance with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s directive, the management of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC has intervened in attempts to mitigate the suffering of victims of the flooding that is currently ravaging several Local Government Areas of the State.
This is as a world renowned professor of Oral Literature and Folklore Professor Godini Gabriel Darah, has called on religious bodies, NGOs and good-spirited individuals to urgently respond and offer assistance to thousands of Deltans who have been displaced by the ravaging flood that has sacked several communities especially in the flood-prone riverine areas of the State.
DESOPADEC”s intervention which commenced in some parts of Delta Central and Delta South yesterday is complementing the effort of the State government which has already opened up internally-displaced persons, IDP, camps across the three Senatorial districts.
Addressing newsmen in Otu-Jeremi, headquarters of Ughelli South Local Government Area where the ravaging flood has caused damage to several buildings, farmlands and property, the DESOPADEC”s Executive Director of Finance and Administration, Hon. Barr. John Nani, disclosed that the intervention was in response to the governor’s matching order to the Commission to provide assistance to victims of the flood.
Nani who was at the time of this interaction supervising the opening up and widening canals across a road in Out-Jeremi to increase the flow out of water from the community, said that the Commission was already setting up an IDP Camp in St. Vincent College, Okwagbe to cater for the needs of flood victims evacuated from several riverine Communities in Ughelli South Local Government Area.
He also disclosed that the Commission has procured truck-loads of relief materials, food and medicines to be distributed to the victims of the flood in the IDP Camp as from Sunday October 16, 2022.
“We have been given a matching order by the governor that we should move into all the oil-bearing communities to make sure that we intervene in the flood that is presently ravaging different areas now. And what we are doing now as you can see clearly is that the swamp boggy is opening the channel up because the community is totally flooded now. I have just been told that there is the need to break open the road across to allow more water to flow out and thereafter we will cover it up later.
“The allegation of neglect is not correct because if the government has neglected the people, this swamp boggy will not be working here now. We have a lot of places that are flooded and as this swamp boggy is working here now so also other machines are working in other flooded places across the State.
“Apart from the intervention of DESOPADEC, the state government has also set up a Committee and it has opened nine IDP camps across the State while DESOPADEC is already setting up two IDP camps in Isoko and another one in Okwagbe to cater for evacuees from the riverine areas.
“By tomorrow or the day after (Sunday 16), the DESOPADEC IDP camps will be receiving food and other relief materials. We have already purchased a lot of relief materials but we need to send them to the IDP camps and request the Presidents-generals of all the affected communities to take to those who could not leave their riverine communities to the IDP camps.
“We are also going to distribute necessary medications and personnel to attend to affected victims both in the camps and in the riverine areas where the affected victims could not leave their homes”, Nani said.
Reacting to the devastating level of this year’s flood in Ughelli South and other parts of the State, Prof. G.G. Dara who spoke to our correspondent on phone, charged religious organizations to take advantage of the present situation to demonstrate the love which they daily preach in their various altars and mobilize food, clothing and cash to address the challenges presently confronting thousands of Deltans who have been displaced by this year’s flood in various parts of the State.
The University don whose community, Esaba in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, has been submerged in the ravaging flood water, also charged national and international non-governmental organizations, NGOs, to come out to the rescue of the victims of the flood, lamenting that the unprecedented magnitude of this year flood has caused a devastating blow to livelihood and the environment in no small measure.
While commending the intervention of DESOPADEC for its effort to set up IDP camp in Okwagbe community and preparation to distribute relief materials, Darah also called on good-spirited individuals to come out and complement the effort of the government, adding that flooding this year was a disaster of national magnitude which the government alone cannot afford to address.
“Urhobo, Isoko, Ijaws and other riverine communities used to encounter emergency in the past before government was formed. In this present circumstance, they should add their own community effort. This is the work for NGOS. In other countries the NGOS are the ones who will volunteer. They have to organize transport for them. It is not just to move the people to dry land, they also need medical attention.
“All these big churches that are collecting money from our people – none of them have announced their programme for the rehabilitation or assistance for the flood victims. Can’t you see the hypocrisy? All these big churches, God’s Grace, Redeem, Crusaders and so on, are they not from Ughelli South? They are waiting for government from Asaba to come and provide assistance even when Asaba is flooded. Oshimili North and South flooded, Ndokwa East and West flooded, Isoko North and South flooded, Bomadi flooded, Ughelli North and South flooded. Which State government can handle that magnitude of disaster alone? “So, organization such as UPU, Isoko IDU, Ijaw INC, is this not work for them?
“DESOPADEC is a government agency. They are working. They are going to create some IDP camps. They have called me but they alone cannot match the magnitude of the crisis. What happened to Nigeria that whatever happens only government can solve it?
“So, what I’m saying is total mobilization of the civil society. Let the churches rise up to say that we are raising a billion naira and call on people to bring money and pay into a designated account. That is how societies respond to challenges. If the churches do not take up that responsibility, I will consider them as hypocrites.
“I’m involved in the whole process. I’m coordinating my own community… We are raising money tomorrow to add to what DESOPADEC will bring”, Prof. Darah said.
