Concerned by the flood-induced hardships being experienced by the people, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, has given civil servants a one- week stay-at-home order.
The holiday is to enable state workers to attend to the impact of the flood as it affected their families.
Diri, in a broadcast on Tuesday, disclosed that the flood had affected nearly a million people in over 300 communities in the state, adding that some have been internally displaced while some deaths have been reported.
According to the governor, the state-owned Niger Delta University in Amassoma, the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital in Okolobiri, and the University of Africa in Toru-Orua, among other important facilities, have been submerged.
He described the state as currently isolated from the rest of the country, adding that the people are also facing humanitarian crisis with food, medical provisions and energy now in short supply.
Diri appealed to President Mohammadu Buhari to consider special grants to the state from the Stabilization Fund, Ecological Fund and Natural Resources Fund.
His said: “Over the last few days, floods have overwhelmed our communities and severely impacted the lives and livelihood of our people. This is a natural disaster that has affected many other states of the Federation to various degrees.
“I have been on a tour of several of our communities to see at first hand the extent of destruction. Our experience has shown that the flood water empties into our State.
“From my personal assessment, the situation is dire. Nearly a million people in over 300 communities in the State, have been internally displaced. Unfortunately, some deaths have been reported.
“The narrative is the same across Sagbama, Ekeremor, Southern Ijaw, Ogbia, Yenagoa, Nembe and Kolokuma Opokuma Local Government Areas.
