Labour Party Guber Candidate Says Okowa’s Response To The Flood Situation In Delta Is Poor

…Visits Victims

By Daniel Dafe

Governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Delta State, Kawhariebie Kennedy Pela, has said that the handling of the flood situation in the state by the Okowa administration was very poor, saying that “it could have been handled much better” since it is an annual routine and not just an issue of giving victims some relief materials.

The gubernatorial candidate spoke to Oasis Magazine (OM) during an exclusive chat on Wednesday.

His words: “This thing happened in 2012 and we’ve always known it will come. There is no reason why more serious preparations could not have been made to make sure it doesn’t repeat itself, at least even if it does repeat itself, not to the kind of degree we have now. The water ways could have been cleared. There are so many things government could have done before now to make sure we don’t have this situation.

“People have died from our statistics. We had to do a very detailed study to find out the extent of this because we needed to understand what the problem is that we are facing and from the result of the report we have from 13 of the 15 local government areas affected. From those 13 local governments’ areas, over 335, 000 people have been affected. 66,000 houses have been affected in Delta state alone. We have the result local government by local government and senatorial district by senatorial district in the state. That is a crisis of monumental proportion. That is close to ten percent of the population of Delta state. So, you are close to ten percent of the population affected with something like this and all they do is go to drop relief materials?

“There are local governments that don’t have IDP camps. It should have been treated with more seriousness. They should have gone to evacuate people from their location. It should have been treated with much seriousness and it could have been handled better. It has been handled with some level of pokinism and I’m sure it’s happening like that because it’s an election year. So, it’s just pokinism, the reaction is not one that is based on the fact that these are human beings like you and I.”

Continuing, he urged those affected not to despair, adding that “the dawn of a better Delta where righteousness, harmony and prosperity reigns is coming from the Labour Party.”

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Hinting that his visit to flood victims in the three senatorial districts commenced on Wednesday, he said: “The kind of crisis we had with the flood situation is such that we cannot close our eyes as human beings and watch our fellow human beings in misery. When you see the picture and video of the problem, you will realize that it’s not the kind of thing that you can just leave for the people to be on their own and or leave for government alone to handle. So, we are trying to mobilize people of good will that have the interest of humanity in heart to stand up and support us and do something about this and help put a smile even if it’s small on the faces of these people.”

Asked what those affected by the flood should expect from Labour Parry, he said: “The main thing is not as much what we can give physically but encouragement. We want them to know that we are with them in this trying time; we are with them and praying for them. We are supporting them. Yes, we will give them the little bit that we can but we are praying for them. We are supporting them but more importantly, we are bringing the challenges to the attention of people of goodwill across the world because their lives have been disrupted and it will take even when the water recedes they are going to be restarting all over again.

“Their farmlands have been washed away; you are going to start all over again to replant those farms, so they will still need support even after the water has receded. We are basically trying to generate awareness so that we can help to bring sucour to them. That’s the idea of what we are doing.

Labour Party Guber Candidate Says Okowa’s Response To The Flood Situation In Delta Is Poor

Message to victims across the state

“I want them to know that we sympathize with them and we stand with them at this time. I happen to be a victim too if you look at it from that perspective. So, I am not talking from the perspective of one who doesn’t understand. My ancestral home is under water. The water is already climbing through the ground floor windows into the house; that is how high it’s gotten.

“I understand their pain and I am with them at this time and more importantly, God is still God and this too shall pass.”