Flood victims around the Epie Creek in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state capital have lamented over their loss and the ordeal they have suffered due to the disaster that have ravaged their homes.
Punch gathered on Thursday, September 20, that the impact of flooding caused by the overflow of the waters from Taylor Creek, tributaries of Orashi and Niger rivers, constituted terrible unrest and untold pain for residents in the area, Punch reports.
As reported, the water levels rose beyond imagined limits and thus wreaked havoc throughout the environs, forcing locals to relocate to other places in search of refuge.
Joy Elvis, a resident of the Onopa area of the Yenagoa metropolis, revealed to newsmen that the people were helpless as the aids they were assured of by the state government are yet to be seen.
Elvis stated: “It has not been easy; the water levels have been on the increase and it is usually expected at this time of the year, but on Tuesday the flood entered our houses, destroying properties. Since then, we have been under intense pressure. Worse still, some of us have no where to run to.
“We need help badly but no one seems to care. We have resorted to moving some of our valuable items to neighbours’ houses because there are no shelters provided by the government yet.
“Our prayer is that the water go back because if it goes beyond this level, even the Good Samaritans accommodating some of us will be threatened as well.”
Commenting on the trend, another resident, John Abide, said that they had been compelled to use canoes to access their homes, because of the recent rising water levels.
Abide wailed that a lot of people affected were reluctant to leave because they are afraid of becoming burden to relatives and friends.
Abide stated: “So, what most people do is to adapt by making wooden platforms within their houses where important things are kept.
“Those who have canoes have put them to use when they needed to go out. We are predominantly people who go to the river regularly to fish; so, we are not so afraid of water.”
Still another resident, who identified himself as Preye, said the disaster had left a mark of pain in the victims, pleading that the federal government and well-meaning Nigerians individuals should to come to their rescue.
Preye said: “We know what happened to us is a natural disaster but we are appealing for help. We know that government’s intervention will go a long way in ameliorating our predicament.”
Meanwhile, the Bayelsa state Government has said it is bent on ensuring that no casualty is recorded.
Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the commissioner for information and orientation, assured the residents that there is no cause for worry, insisting that the state government is taking steps to manage the situation.
Meanwhile, we reported that the serious flooding in about six local government areas in Delta state had left not less than four persons including a blind man and an 11-year-old boy drowned.
The areas in the state mostly affected by the flood are Ndokwa east, Oshimili south, Burutu, Ughelli south, Patani and Bomadi, all of which are located along the bank of the River Niger.
