The organisation of Ijaw Ethnic Nationality, Ijaw National Congress, INC, has said that it would institute measures to seek compensation for flood victims from Federal Government, over failure over the years to build dams to contain excess flood waters from Cameron’s Lagdo dam into Nigeria, which has brought disastrous consequences on Nigerians.
INC’s National Publicity Secretary, Engr. Ezonebi Oyakemeagbegha at an interactive session with newsmen noted that the magnitude of destruction caused by the ravaging flood is unimaginable
He said that the entire communities of the Ijaw nation, both of Delta and Bayelsa states were e completely submerged.
He said: “Our acestral homes, worship centres, sacred lands, etc have all been devastated.
“Most worrisome is the fact that even those that are resting in peace, are not allowed to rest. The flood excavated graves, Some mortuaries were submerged and corpses floated everywhere. Honestly, we have not seen such a thing like this in the history of the Ijaw nation.
“Traditional rulers were forced to abandon their palaces to squat with either relatives or friends, can’t imagine the abomination.
“Some children and aged people have flushed away because of the high current of the flood. These could only remind us of Noah’s story in the Bible
“The Provision of conventional relief materials, such as rice bags, and mattresses, that would not make any meaningful impact on these victims is absurd
“Funny enough, even these trivial relief materials are hijacked mostly by the middlemen. They hardly get to the victims.
“We are aware of last year’s and this year’s budgetary provisions in those ministries saddled with the responsibility of emergency situations but such funds either go into the stomach of a snake, crocodile, monkey or animals feasting on money.
“The provision for this year as contained in the budget, Ministry of Environment, N52,115,699,725, Niger Delta, N126,483,021,722, and Humanitarian Disaster Management and Social Development, N507,901,288,015.
“These provisions exclude the provision for the various parastatal under the main ministries. We are also aware that, over Seventy Billion naira is still in the purse of the Ecological funds.
“But so far, not to our knowledge if any of these agencies have come to the aid of the victims
“We can no longer Condone this sheer irresponsibility of the Federal Government, he said.
“The Ijaw people bear the brunt of this ravaging flood, because of the topography. Most of our communities are located along the River shores and are below sea level. God in his infinite mercy recognised this fact and blessed us with natural resources, which could have been used to take care of some other challenges. Allow us to be free and manage our natural resources and see if we will have one cause to regret. We will continue to call for true Federalism and Self determination.
“The pains and sufferings our people have gone through this period is incredible, unbelievable and unthinkable
“The nonchalant attitude of the Federal Government towards the lives of its citizens in the name of natural disasters is no longer tenable. Nobody should deceive us. This is no natural disaster, it is a man-made disaster, and it is available.
“The Federal Government has reduced its people to penury, anguish and everlasting sorrow.
“It’s posited that the primary responsibility of government all over the world is to protect lives and properties but the Nigerian State has deliberately abandoned it’s responsibility of protecting the lives and properties of its people it is a state crime against it’s own people.
The Ijaw nation, therefore, urged the Federal Government to prepare to pay compensation to all affected Ijaw communities, clans and kingdoms,” he added.
