Flood Invasion in Rivers State and Nigeria Remains One Of The Failures of Government – Olumati Isaiah

The Labour Party candidate for Port Harcourt Local Government Constituency 1, Olumati Isaiah has reacted to the flood ravaging the people of Rivers State and her neighbouring States during an interactive session with profjaysblog correspondent in Port Harcourt.

The Labour Party candidate, Olumati Isaiah said he has spent the last few days engaging with victims of the flood in Rivers State and has observed, thought about, and investigated the subject and the history. He has also paid rapt attention to the intricate details surrounding the event and, sad does not describe how he currently feels.

He later posited that, the flood invasion remains one of the failures of Government, both at the National and State levels. The reoccurrence of this event without any form of attempt at mitigation, is a testament to how much the government continues to ignore the people and their plights.

Continuing, he stressed that, his heart goes out to every family who have found themselves caught up in this disaster. He can only imagine the amount of physical, emotional and psychological stress they have had to be under, in the last few days.

Further talking, he said, “while I will in good faith appreciate the gesture of Governors like the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, for approving the sum of N1B to aid victims, I like to remind every government that sending money and relief materials though good, has a potential of constituting more nuisance, by itself . We cannot continue to spend money on relief materials, while ignoring the root cause.”

Flooding is a Geological problem, and can only be solved when the right assessment is done within affected areas, and calculated actions taken.

No form of financial compensation will make up for the loss of homes, important documents, objects of unquantifiable value, lives, the mental shock and more.

These are indeed sad and trying times. The Government is a wholesome body. Nigerians, and indeed, Rivers people, have to take this body more seriously.

If no attempt at mitigating this reoccurrent challenge has been made in the past 8 years, then by all means, the entire system should be changed as it is a pointer to unanimous resolve by all layers, to take Rivers people and Nigerians at large, for granted.

We must go beyond our bragging rights at the polls, and begin to demand for our human rights.

The system has to be changed. This idea of sending relief materials on issues that should be solution and action based, should be put away. If they do not know what to do about it, then they should step down or better still, be voted out in the coming elections.