Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi on Saturday visited Bayelsa State Governor Duoye Diri in Yenagoa, the state capital to emphasise with flood victims in the state.
This is a follow-up to a similar visit on Thursday to flood-ravaged communities in Benue State to commiserate with victims and tasked the Federal Government to be proactive in mitigating the effects of devastating floods across the country.
On Wednesday, Obi had urged political parties to suspend campaigns for the 2023 general elections, and concentrate on helping flood victims in parts of the country find their feet.
Obi’s supporters staged a “One-Million-Man Health/Fitness Walk” for him along the Mbiama-Yenagoa Road, causing heavy gridlock the Bayelsa State capital.
On his sympathy tour, Obi tweeted from his trip: “Earlier today, I visited the flood-affected areas of Bayelsa. The level of damages and displacements far exceeds that of 2012”.
Floods have hit parts of Nigeria in the last two months with the National Emergency Management Agency saying that about 2.5 million persons were affected and over 603 persons killed by the flooding caused by torrential rainfall of late.
Houses and farmlands have been submerged in Lagos, Yobe, Borno, Taraba, Adamawa, Edo, Delta, Kogi, Niger, Plateau, Benue, Ebonyi, Anambra, Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, Jigawa, Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Imo, Abia States, and the Federal Capital Territory.
Last week, the Federal Government approved emergency management plans to mitigate the impact of the flood nationwide.
After an emergency meeting on flood situation with relevant stakeholders in Abuja last Tuesday, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo told reporters that said government had approved the National Emergency Flood Preparedness and Response Plans to mitigate and reduce the impact of the flood nationwide.
The 2022 floods have attracted international “solidarity”. In a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari King Charles III sympathised with Nigeria over the “devastating” incidents.
“Your Excellency, Dear Mr President”, the monarch began in the message to Buhari. “I wanted you to know how deeply saddened both my wife and I are to hear of the many people who have lost their loved ones and whose lives have been so dreadfully affected as a consequence of the devastating floods across Nigeria.
“We remember with the greatest affection our visits to Nigeria and the kindness of the people we met.”
“I know that the United Kingdom stands in solidarity with Nigeria as you recover from these truly terrible events”, he said.
The ‘Obidients’ wore T-shirts and face caps branded with the pictures of the presidential candidate and his running mate, Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, brandishing the Labour Party flags and fliers while dancing to music and singing solidarity songs.
The walk started at the Etegwe/Edepie roundabout and terminated first at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, and later proceeded to the Ox-Bow Lake area where they finally converged.
Security operatives from the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Security were on hand to maintain law and order during the rally.
The state chairman of the Labour Party, Eneyi Zidongha said the massive turnout was an indication that Nigerians had become wiser and decided not to give opportunity to politicians who would destroy their future.
He said that Nigerians have confidence in Obi and are ready to take back their country from those who had over the years been recycling themselves, family members and cronies in power.
Zidongha said: “The massive crowd shows clearly that Nigerians have decided for their future, they have decided to say no more unemployment, insecurity; no more politicians who are supposed to be role models but instead, they are destroying the lives of Nigerians.
“Nigerians are saying today, that if we can walk freely to say we want someone who can lead us, someone who has confidence, integrity and they can trust. And today they are all out for a fitness and health walk, just to demonstrate our love for our country.
“They want to take back their country from the hands of those who are recycling themselves in power and their entire families. Someone will have his wife in the Senate, someone will have his children in the House of Assembly; these are people who are determined to run generations and the country as their family business. Nigerians are saying enough is enough”.
How I will tackle flooding - Peter Obi - Breezy News Nigeria
24 October 2022 at 2:14 pm
[…] Obi paid solidary visits to flood victims in Benue and Bayelsa States over the weekend, after he had urged political parties to suspend campaigns for the 2023 general elections. […]