Flood: Stakeholders decry greed of politicians in Delta over relief materials to victims

·        ‘Don’t pass relief materials through politicians’

·        Pull down structures blocking drains, says Mujakpero

·        Money donated by Dangote did not reach people of Ndokwa East

Politicians in Delta state have been castigated by stakeholders who decried their selfishness and greed in the way they handled the management of relief materials meant to alleviate the plight of victims of flood disaster in the state.

Otuaro, deputy governor of Delta State

This was the consensus of community leaders, monarchs, Directors General of clans and town unions, and local representatives of flood affected areas of the state who attended a stake holders’ interactive meeting with the committee on flood management in the state.

At the meeting which held in the Unity Hall, Government House, Asaba and chaired by the Deputy Governor of Delta state, Barrister Burutu Otuaro, the monarchs and community leaders denounced the way commissioners and politicians have handled the management of flood in the past, especially the distribution of relief materials to the suffering victims of flood disaster.

A stakeholder from Ndokwa East said: “ In Ndokwa East from May to December we don’t see vehicles, only rivers of floods. Our farmers are crying; all the millions that Dangote donated, nothing reached the people of Ndokwa East.  Government should please remember the people of Ndokwa East. Our poor farmers are suffering, their farm produce having been ravaged by the floods.”

The Ndokwa East representative while pleading with the government not to channel any relief material to flood victims through politicians, said: There is a total disconnect between the people and the politicians. They are satellite politicians. Whatever is coming to Ndokwa East should be channeled through the president generals of each clan and not through politicians.”

Another stake holder said after the floods government’s presence should be felt by way of road rehabilitation, repair of culverts devastated by the floods, instead of the current experience of government abandoning the places and leaving them in their flood ravaged conditions.

Besides, a stakeholder from Sapele Local government said they lacked drainage system, requesting that government should help the people by proving good drainage that will link the flood water to River Ethiope. He told the Otuaro flood committee: “Don’t take report from commissioners and politicians. Come and see things for yourselves.”

Mr. Ramos Guanah, one time commissioner for land in Delta state, and now a farmer while speaking on behalf of all farmers in the state said: “The truth is that many farmers have lost their crops, poultry, fish, etc to the ravages of floods. There is the need to take a census so as to know the real farmers and who are not.”

A royal father, the orodje of Okpe Kingdom, Major General Mujakpero (rtd), complained about the lack of political will on the part of the state government to deal with environmental abuses by unscrupulous elements in the society. He said: “Government has weak political powers to intervene in very serious matters of the environment. Town planning authorities are conniving; people are building on grains. Government should pull down those houses and structures built on water ways, thus blocking the drains and causing flooding of the environment. People cannot continue to suffer because of the selfish interest of others.”

The Bomadi monarch, in his remark recalled that in 2012, the entire Bomadi Local Government area was submerged by flood, and declared: “I want to believe that this is a new administration in Delta State. The funds released by government did not reach the people displaced by floods.” He requested that his anomaly should be corrected.

In his response, the Deputy Governor, Barrister Burutu Otuaro said his committee has visited many of the flood affected areas, and that Internally Displaced Persons centres have been created for the safety of such person. He hinted also that they saw how person have displayed primordial attachment to their areas, and so they are reluctant to evacuate now that they can to safe places. They are praying and believing that the floods will recede.

“We want to see how we can access these people with relief materials,” Otuaro said. He hinted that the 2016 budget preparation is currently being done, adding that “We will try to capture the rehabilitation of roads and other damaged infrastructure and drainages in that budget.”

The Deputy Governor acknowledged the drainage challenges in Oshimili south, and recalled that part of the move to tackle the challenges is the reason for the establishment of the Asaba Capital Territory Development Agency.

In the case of Ughellu South where floods ravaged, he said government sent in swamp bogies to carry ou emergency work of draining away of the flood water. While for Ndokwa East, Otuaro acknowledged the good work being done by the Council Chairman, Mrs. Nkechi Chukwurah, adding that she has been in touch with the state government.