Bayelsa Assembly Approves N4b Gov's Request to Mitigate Last Year's Flood Victims

By Aaron Azi

Bayelsa State House of Assembly on Thursday plenary approved N4 billion requested by the state Governor, Senator Douye Diri under the Flood Mitigation Cash Social Support Scheme for the victims of the last year's flood spread across the eight local government area of the state.

 

The approval was sequel to a motion moved by the Majority Leader of the House, Rt. Hon Monday-Bubou Edwin Obolo and seconded by Hon (Chief) Igbadiwei MacDonald, member representing Southern Ijaw Constituency four in the house.

Moving the motion, the Majority Leader explained that the N4 billion approved was not a loan but a fund provided in the 2023 budget to alleviate the plight of the victims.

The lawmaker observed that during the last year's flood the governor toured round the entire state devastated by the flood and provided relief materials for the victims, stressing that the fund approved is a continuation of the state government efforts to support the victims so much affected by the flood.

Earlier in the governor's request read at the floor of the House in a letter he addressed to the Rt. Hon Speaker, Abraham Ingobere, the state Chief Executive noted that the last year's flood which ravaged the state affected on the livelihood of the people as well as damaged significant infrastructure, which called for intervention by the state government.

The governor maintained that the intervention was aimed at complementing measures already taken to bring immediate succour.

He said the N4 billion requested is for the beneficiaries selected from the data provided by the State Emergency Relief Agency (SEMA), Ministry of Women, Children Affairs, Empowerment and Social Development, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and other relevant State Government Agencies.