By Samuel Oyadongha

YENAGOA- EMBATTLED residents of communities still submerged by flood in Bayelsa State currently use hand-propelled canoes to go into their houses and perform household tasks.

The ravaging flood, which is threatening to swamp more villages has also chased away patients and students from a state government-owned General Hospital and schools at Agudama-Ekpetiama community and Adagbabiri in Sagbama Council of the state.

File: Flood

Governor of the state, Hon. Seriake Dickson, recently, raised the alarm that the situation was getting out of control, calling on the Nigeria Air Force to undertake emergency evacuation of trapped victims.

More communities threatened

At the time of this report, residents of Biseni community were fleeing their homes, while the devastating flood was said to be posing grave danger to communities along the bank of River Niger and its tributaries of River Forcados, River Nun and Ramos River in Sagbama, Kolokuma-Opokuma, Ekeremor, Yenagoa and Southern Ijaw council areas.

Also, overflowing water from the Orashi River, Taylor, Epie,  Ikole and Kolo creeks have left communities in the Biseni axis of the state, Agudama-Ekpetiama, Ayama Ogbia among others, submerged.

Reports said that relatives of patients at General Hospital, Agudama-Ekpetiama had to rush their sick ones out of the hospital.

The usually busy Azikoro-Agbura-Onuebum-Otuoke road linking Yenagoa and Ogbia local government areas has also been cut off by flood causing motorists to go through Elebele road, a longer course.

Besides, roadside traders selling palm wine and bush meat in kiosks along the route have been kicked out of business by flood.

Residents moan

Some staff of the Federal University, Otuoke, the country home of former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who spoke with NDV, said the development has led to hike in transport fare as commuters now pay N400 as against N250 from Yenagoa to Otuoke before the flood.

“This was how it happened in October 2012 when flood took over the whole community, but up till now, there is no proper preventive measure put in place by government.

“We are expecting the government to come up with necessary measures to mitigate future occurrence, but it is a matter of regret that such measures are not in place. The authorities should look into the matter. This has been a yearly problem,” he said.

Gov seeks help

Meanwhile, the state government has sought the collaboration of the Nigerian Air Force to undertake emergency evacuation of flood victims in affected communities in the state.

Governor Seriake Dickson, who made the appeal when the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar and his entourage called on him in Yenagoa said Bayelsa is the worst hit state in the country in view of the fact that the entire state is below sea level.

His words: “As we speak, many of our communities are under water. The whole of Bayelsa is below sea level. So, once there is a major flooding situation in our country, our state is one of the most impacted because all the major rivers pass through here to the Atlantic.

“I want to see a situation where your officers and men collaborate more with our people, especially in the area of evacuation because the situation we have at hand is alarming. The reports we are getting are not palatable. We hear that the situation will continue for the next one month, by which time I can count on my fingers how many communities in Bayelsa will not be evacuated.”