Abuja—Due to the raging flood in some parts of Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta States, the new Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Major General Barry Ndiomu (retd), has indefinitely canceled his earlier scheduled stakeholders’ engagement.
Ndiomu confirmed on Friday that he was already on his way to the venue of the stakeholders’ meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State when he discovered that the flood had taken over some parts of the East-West road connecting the state.
The PAP boss in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Thomas Peretu, sympathized with victims of the flood across the Niger Delta.
Ndiomu, who described the disaster as sad, said it was pathetic that people had been displaced from their homes, farmlands and other sources of livelihood.
In his words: “It’s a thing of deep regret and sympathy. I sympathize with the government and the good people of the affected states.
“We have all seen the very devastating effect of floods. Roads settlements, and communities have been washed away. Quite a few have died in the process. It is most unfortunate, may their souls rest in perfect peace.
“We grieve with the families who have lost loved ones and I believe the government is doing something about it, we on our part will try within the limits of what we can provide to assist with relief materials as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the people.
“Coincidentally I am from Bayelsa State as well, so it is indeed a very sad moment for me. My people are involved in this I feel bad but we will do the best we can to show support and ensure that some relief and succor come to the people who are badly affected by this flood.
“The flood forced me to postpone our stakeholders’ engagement in Yenagoa. I am calling on interventionist agencies to up their game by making available more relief materials for the victims. They should also set up proper IDP camps.”
While lamenting that some of the PAP training centers in the region were also affected by the disaster, Ndiomu equally called on state governments in the region to close ranks and work together to mitigate the effect of the disaster and also prepare ahead of time for future occurrences.
