2012 Flood: We got N535 million, not N15 billion – Bayelsa State

August 09, 2015 – The Bayelsa State Post Management Committee(BSPMC), has condemned allegation by the All Progressives Congress ( APC), that it received N15 billion as donations during the peak of the 2012 flood that devastated the entire state, stressing that it is nothing but outright lies.

The committee said it has only received the sum of N500 million from the state government, being donation from a philanthropist’s organisation, Mr Mike Adenuga Foundation and additional N35 million for logistics and administrative cost.

The Chairman of BSPMC, Chief Francis Doukpola said in a statement that it was wrong for any person or group of persons to institute such weighty allegation without any iota of fact.

He challenged those raising the allegation to come up with proof of any transactions that led to the acquisition of such amount by the committee or state government.

Doukpola said the monies received was used for positive interventions in most of the flood affected areas in seven local government areas in the state.

He said the committee in a bid to alleviate the sufferings of the people had embarked on some projects, including the distribution of cement in all the communities in the seven (7) LGAs which were affected by the flood apart from Brass council area that was not affected.

He added that 400 bags of cement were given to each of the communities to be distributed among the most affected persons, with emphasis on the less-privileged with mud houses.

Doukpola explained that the committee also carried out post flood activities by opening of a blocked channel in Igbogene community in the Yenagoa local government area of the state, which was largely responsible for the massive flooding in the community.

According to him, other interventions include the renovation of Primary School II Agorogbene; repair of damaged hospital fence in the Niger Delta Teaching Hospital Okolobiri; removal of damaged/collapsed bridge and water hyacinths at Imiringi and opening of a flood channel at Onuegbum.

“More interventions were also done for the repair of parts of Amatu link road in Odi; renovation of Ologoghe hospital; renovation of Ologi hospital; blockage of flood channels in Agbere; construction of shore protection in Sampou; construction of earth dyke in Sagbama; blockage of flood channels in Tombia; blockage of flood channel in Olugbobiri and renovation of health centre and primary school in Opuama”, he said.

He said the committee also embarked on the renovation of the Cottage hospital at Agbere; construction of two foot bridges Fikuroma in Nembe and Oweigbene in Ekeremor council area; renovation Pretrugbene primary school; renovation of Yenaka primary school; construction of concrete road in Ayamassa; renovation of Opuama primary school; building of flood muster point at Isoni; renovation of doctors quarters and wards at General Hospital in Biseni; reconstruction of teachers quarter at Turo-Orua; protection of Tombia water front with concrete; renovation of Comprehensive High School in Agudama-Epie and protection of shore at Agbere.

Doukpola however noted that the several other interventions that are not listed were contained in a detailed committee report which has been handed over to the state Auditor-General.