Bayelsa flood victims speak: Our harrowing ordeal at IDP camp

…Say life in Igbogene IDP camp difficult, seek urgent help
…We’re doing so much to ensure their safety in camp- Bayelsa Govt
…We’ll stand by you, Osinbajo assures victims
Flood is becoming one of the most common and re-ocurring disaster in Bayelsa State. Barely six years after the 2012 flood ravaged 95 percent of the state and left terrible memories in the heart of residents, the current impact of the 2018 flood has affected and displaced more humans, farm lands, homes, schools and churches.

The current pattern, which experts predicted earlier in the beginning of the year, has shown indices of a similar natural disaster of 2012 in many parts of the state.

The impact has also left hundreds of victims with tales of woes, while many others live in fear.

A visit to the Igbogene Central Camp, in Igbogene community of Bayelsa State, by our correspondent, where affected residents of the state capital have been relocated to take refuge at the IDPs camp, revealed the plight of the flood victims.

Walking through the premises of the camp and staring at the young lads gathered in a group of 20 due to overcrowding, caused by high population became more worrisome. It was a piteous sight to behold.

The looks of the elderly tell tales of agony, their eye sockets are seemingly loosened. It appeared the metaphor of lack, the simile of dejection and the apt representation of want.

According to findings, every day, an average of 100 indigenes and non-indigenes alike are relocated to the camp to seek refuge. A quick glance at the children sleeping on bare floor of the spacious but unkempt rooms immediately elicited pity.

A 60-year-old Mrs. Marie Agile, from Ekeremor main town, Ekeremor Local Government Area, with five children, said: “We have been displaced by the flood and the thoughts of all that we have lost has furthermore aggravated our sufferings. How do I cope with five children in this kind of conditions and place?

“Even when we leave here, the property that is lost may never be regained again. This is almost noon and we haven’t had any food. The amount of mosquitoes here can send this children to hospital afterwards even though we have a medical team to administer drugs to them”.

For Mrs. Daniel Malaya and Mrs. Patience Chiboy, from Omoku Local Government Area, both with three children and their husbands, had sent two children out of the camp because of the condition of the camp.

They said: “Life here is difficult. The food we are given here is not good. We are being fed twice a day, the food isn’t nourished especially the soup”.

Madam Esther Makenne, from Ayama Ogbia, but resides with four children in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, confirmed that they’re fed twice a day, but the issue of a comfortable place is quite challenging.

When she spoke, her quavering voice and tearful eyes completed the story of her agonising life experience at the camp.

She said: “Our launch is our breakfast, we don’t have mosquito nets. As you can see, I’m carrying my 4-year-old and 6 month-old baby who is looking so sickly”.

According to Roseline Andrew, “for the past 10 days in the camp, I have been sleeping with my seven children on bare floor, with the level of the cold at night.

“We know this is not our homes and we don’t expect all the comfort but we see different groups, government and other well-meaning Bayelsans coming to donate food items and other relief material but we don’t get to use them.

“We have monies to buy things to cook and eat but the challenge is where to lay and sleep”.

At the time of our correspondent’s visit, a long convoy of trucks with other buses led by a team from the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, arrived the camp with food items and other relief materials.

The team leader of the Chief Timipre Sylva flood relief materials distribution, Hon. Ibarakumo Otobo, immediately led the team to the management of the camp, explaining that he was sent from the leadership of the party in the state.

He said the gesture was a token to make life more meaningful for those affected by the flood residing in the camp, adding that the team was personally there to ensure the items donated get to the actual beneficiaries.

He also stated that the donations to the refugee camp has no political inclination or sentiment attached, adding that they are all Bayelsans, so they must the feel the pulse of the people in circumstances like this.

The former commissioner, who disclosed that the flood has also taken over his Yenagoa home, hence the reason for his persistence that the items must get to those affected.

He also sent relief materials to other Yenagoa extended camps of Zarama, Biseni, Ikarama and other surrounding communities in the area.

In his reaction, Director for Information, Bayelsa State Emergency Agency, Mr. Aziowei Ayii, commended the team for the show of love and assistance to the displaced persons in the camp, adding that all measures to ensure only the affected persons get the items is been employed and followed.

While taking the team roung the camp, he explained that over a thousand displaced persons have been relocated since the beginning of the camping, adding that every process from donations, distribution, feeding and security is been documented to avoid discrepancies and controversies.

He also gave the records of pregnant women who gave birth at the camp, and said their children are in good conditions.

He noted that the medical teams are working round the clock to ensure the people get adequate health services, adding that all the items are kept in a safe place.

On the issue of uncomfortable place for sleeping by some of the refugees, he said government has made enough provision for the persons but what they do is hide most of the things collected to get more.

He said, “We are doing all to ensure every material received is shared amongst all the camps effectively. We have a profiling list of every material brought and the number of IDPs in the camp.

“They have coordinators who are in charge of the different groups. Like you can see people bringing monies. I direct that the monies are given to the nursing mothers directly in order to avoid controversies.

“The state government is doing so much to ensure that their stay here is safe. We have the medical team around who attends to them all. We also commend other donors for their support in coming to the aid of the flood victims,” he added.