PDP chieftain, Obuebite berates Buhari’s Minister, Sadiya over a comment on the flooding situation in Bayelsa.

**Calls for her immediate resignation

Joseph Edirou Reports

The former Chief whip, Bayelsa State House of Assembly, former Commissioner Information, Education and chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), Hon Jonathan Robinson Obuebite, PhD has described the non-classification of Bayelsa as one of the ten worst-hit states by flooding as disheartening and unacceptable

The Minister, Sadiya Farouq stated in her statement that Bayelsa is not among the 10 worst-hit states by recent flooding in the Country.

However, Hon. Obuebite was quoted in a statement accusing the Minister of being insensitive to the plight of the people in the state

The Minister, according to him, based her assessment of the situation on hearsay and ethnic bias, arguing that she was supposed to tour the affected communities for an on-the-spot assessment and makes her findings known to the public.

He alleged the Minister of playing ethnic politics with a natural disaster that has left in its trail the death of many people including the highest goal scorer of the Prosperity cup who lost his life in the course of rescuing others.

He added that there is no community in the three Senatorial districts that is not affected by flooding.

Hon. Obuebite who disclosed that he is one of the victims said that former President Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Douye Diri, former Governor and now Senator Seriake Dickson and over a million people were affected by the flooding.

According to him, the flooding which has cut off the state from other parts of the country on the East-West road on the Rivers State and Delta State ends has stopped movement in and out of the state by land. For which her Federal Government has approved the sum of N506billion for the rehabilitation of the East-West road.

Also that majority of Bayelsans have become refugees at various IDP camps set up by the Gov. Diri-led Prosperity Administration.

The issue of flooding as it affects the state is nothing but a colossal and monumental disaster and it has devastated farmlands and fish farms for which the state is already experiencing famine

This was attested to by the visiting UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria Mr Schmale during the visit got first-hand information on the effect of the devastating flood, and therefore solicited the assistance of the Federal Government

“What I saw yesterday reminded me of the images I saw of Pakistan a few months ago and the world took note of that. A third of Pakistan, the size of the United Kingdom, was underwater. The images reminded me of that.
We need to be very clear. This is a crisis of major proportion”

Hon. Obuebite described the Minister’s non-visit to the affected communities as a dereliction of duty.

Her appointment as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management is to oversee what is happenings in all the states of the Federation not a particular section of the Country.

Sadiya Farouq should draw a line between ethnic politics and national assignment. Stating that flooding has no ethnic colouration. It is not about PDP or APC.

Sadiya Farouq has failed in her assignment and should honourably tender her letter of resignation.