IJAW NATIONAL CONGRESS (INC)

 PRESS RELEASE

6 November, 2022


 *Bayelsa Flooding: Minister Farouq On Perceived Ethnic Mission Under FG Canopy*  




1. The Ijaw National Congress (INC) has taken strong exception to the claim by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, that Bayelsa State is not among the 10 most-affected states by this year's flood disaster while Jigawa State is the most-impacted in the federation.


2. Farouq's unscientific assessment of the flood situation, to say the least, is reckless, inhuman , disrespectful, insensitive, provocative and insulting to not only the government and people of Bayelsa State but the Ijaw nation and indeed the Niger Delta. She has failed to manage disaster and show empathy;  She has rather succeeded in being a disaster to be managed by Nigerians.


3. For the avoidance of doubt, Bayelsa State is the worst-hit by the 2022 flood catastrophe in all ramifications. The entire local government areas of the state were completely submerged under floodwaters. Perhaps, the Minister is not aware thay by its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, Bayelsa State, more than any other littoral state, receives all the floodwaters released from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon through the Rivers Niger and Benue.


4. The INC places on record that the overwhelming floods created an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Bayelsa State. The disaster devastated many lives, livelihoods, road infrastructures; submerged hospitals, schools, communities and displaced over a million persons in the state. The state was practically cut off from the rest of the country as the rampaging floodwaters gravely damaged the East-West Road sections of Okogbe-Ihuike-Ahoada in River State .


5. As a result of the crushing devastation, there was acute shortage of foodstuffs, water, medicines, petroleum products and other essential goods in Bayelsa State. The prices of goods and services, therefore, increased astronomically.


6. We are concerned that the Minister's false claim has exposed the crass incompetence, cluelessness and ineptitude she has brought to bear in the discharge of her duties. She has politicised the flood disaster. It is on record that, Farouq sat in Abuja and did not visit Bayelsa State to personally see the extent of destruction before drawing her spurious conclusions, relying on bogus data dripping with ethnic sentiments.


7. This is the same Minister who, in *2020* , shocked the entire nation with the laughable claim that the Federal Government expended a whopping sum of N523.3million to feed schoolchildren who were confined to their homes with their parents and guardians during the COVID-19 lockdown. What a Minister!

 Notwithstanding, the power that be still kept her to perpetrate her unscrupulous, corrupt and disdainful activities to the pains of Nigeria and Nigerians.


8. The INC believes that the Minister's mindset and ethnic bias was responsible for the refusal of the Federal Government to show any concern and empathy towards Bayelsa and provide succour to ameliorate the sufferings of flood victims in the state since the natural calamity befell the state.


9. We also believe that Farouq's public utterances on Bayelsa State have exposed her hatred against Ijaw and indeed the Niger Delta people. She is hiding under the canopy of the Federal Government to play an ethnic script written for her by the northern oligarchs who, in cahoots with the central government, are only interested in the oil and gas resources of Ijaw and Niger Delta people.


10. The INC demands that the Minister should withdraw her comments coated in ethnic sentiments, and apologize to peace loving people of Bayelsa State. If she fails to tender an apology, President Buhari should remove her from office to restore public confidence in his administration whose conduct has been largely characterized by nepotistic considerations.


11. We demand that the Federal Government of Nigeria should treat Bayelsa State fairly and respond adequately to the flood disaster in the state and assuage the plight of affected people. Or is Bayelsa State no longer part of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?


12. The Federal Government should not only be interested in the oil and gas resources of Ijaw and Niger Delta communities while shirking its responsibilities to our people in their time of trouble such as the ravaging floods.


13. It is instructive that the United Nations has likened the flood situation in Bayelsa State to the floods in Pakistan and described it as a major disaster. The global body's assessment has put a lie to Sadiya Umar Farouq's northernised claim. The INC hopes that the UN honest assessment would jerk the Minister and the Federal Government from their ethnic point of view,visit Bayelsa State and do the needful in the best interest of national unity and integration. 


14. The INC commends the Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, for demonstrating quality leadership, capacity and empathy for the people in the glaring absence of federal support as the floods battered the state. He is indeed a true Ijaw leader.


15.The INC is immensely grateful to all  public spirited and kind hearted individuals  and corporate organisations for their show of implicit love,concern and support to the people and government of Bayelsa State in this hour of grief and distress occasioned by the flood disaster.


Signed: 

PROFESSOR BENJAMIN  OGELE OKABA 

President of Ijaw National Congress

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Vote Wisely

True.

N/B:
Don't mind my typos..



I was telling somebody last week that this Buhari regime,the FG works only for the north.
The south has the highest impact of the flood and I said,go to bayelsa where even the former president gej house was emerged,u will not see any federal government presence...
If anything happens in the south south or south east, it's none of fg business.u won't see FG.
But if there is just a small problem in an LGA in the north, u will see FG everywhere.

They just keep cornering every single opportunity to themselves in the north leaving the rest out, very selfish,greedy,eye service ,wicked set of persons.

And it's Niger delta oil and gas that is feeding the whole of the country.
I just pity Niger delta people
Imagine people so blessed by God but being subjected to so much suffering.

Anyway , I blame gej for being to soft ,he decided to loose election himself by keeping jega... And he was messed up .

1$= N1000.

So tell me , what is it that this government achieved?
Tell me:
What are they campaigning with?

Leadership is an act and not just a position.

All those shouting " I want to be president, Governor etc"

What are their antecedents?

Look, these wicked leaders know they are losers but here is the CRUX..

They already sold their souls to the devil, they are condemned to perish in hell because of their so much wickedness.
They stole all our collective wealth and made the masses so wretched and poor so that they masses are also condemned with them.
The opportunity of a normal Nigerian to make heaven is so low and slim because these wicked leaders v made sure that for u to survive, u must beg,steal, lie, and to some,they will commit crimes like yahoo yahoo,rituals, arm robbery etc.

Even those working are faced with challenges of one lie or the other because they want to survive.
Now look at it, the wicked politicians and wicked leaders v emmased all the money and wealth to enjoy their earthly journey no matter what and v also systematically condemned the masses to hell so, they v cheated Nigerians here on earth and also in after life.

Since almost everyone is condemned to hell ( God forbids), what then v u enjoyed on earth as a Nigerian?
Is suffering enjoyment?

Nigeria people should rise up in revolution and put an end to all these evil people once and for all.
Be brave and take back your country