"It is the worst that I have seen so far. People are really suffering, farmlands are destroyed. We don’t know what will happen to us next year, there will be starvation in the state as the whole Bayelsa State is covered with flood..."

The above were lamentations made by Mrs. Faith Opuene, Special Adviser to the Governor on Emergency and Relief Matters in 2012, when the flood disasters hit Bayelsa State. 

Fast-forward to 2018. The floods have come again. And again, the government of the State is ill-prepared. 

How many lives will be lost and how much worth of property must be destroyed before actions are taken? 

According to the Nigerian Red Cross the 2012 floods left over 120,000 people homeless in Bayelsa and Delta States alone. As the floods begin this year, actions can still be taken to mitigate its devastating impacts. Already individuals from the affected areas have formed search-and-rescue groups. One of such is Ijaw Flood Control Unit by Ms. Rosemary Graham-Naingba. Updates on the flood disaster are being posted on various social media platforms including Ijaw Project. 

We are calling on the government of Governor Seriake Dickson to take prompt actions and immediately mobilize and release resources in a timely fashion to forestall unnecessary loss of lives and property. 

Quick thinking and urgent intervention can avert loss of lives and property. We are also calling on local and international agencies and groups to come to the aid of the victims now.