Flood: Bayelsa APC chieftain condemns minister over comments

A former deputy National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Yekini Nabena, has condemned the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Farouq, after she allegedly exempted Bayelsa from the list of 10 states ravaged by floods.

 

Farouq had stated that ‘Bayelsa is not among the 10 worst hit states’ when she appeared at the ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communications team at the Presidential Villa on Thursday.

The minister hinged her conviction on a number of factors which she said included the number of displaced persons and deaths recorded per state, injuries, partially damaged or totally damaged houses as well as ravaged farmlands.

 

But Nabena faulted her conclusion, saying the yardsticks deployed were not enough to exclude a seriously affected state like Bayelsa.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, the former APC image maker disclosed that the Federal Government should be interested on how to quickly prevent a recurrence of the phenomenon, stating that flood was preventable.

The Bayelsa politician consequently warned the Humanitarian Affairs Minister not to introduce religion and tribe into the current flood disaster.

 

He said, “I think the minister is worried that Bayelsa is receiving all the attention. She would have preferred Jigawa state which she has awarded the first position.

“Madam Minister need not worry herself because Bayelsa will not be interested in this kind of competition as to who would come first in a calamity. Punch