The flood devastation is now an international issue” – President Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday called for urgent help from Nigerians and other well-meaning individuals for victims of the flood, lamenting that the situation has become desperate as no fewer than 25 per cent of the country’s population had been displaced by the flood ravaging different parts of the country.
He made the appeal at the Presidential Villa, Abuja while inaugurating the National Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation, co-chaired by business mogul, Aliko Dangote, and a former President of the Nigeria Bar Association, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN).
They were charged with the responsibility to raise funds to complement Federal Government’s efforts at providing relief to the victims and the post-impact rehabilitation of affected persons and communities. Globacom Chairman, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr., who was named as the Chief Fund Mobiliser, was absent at the inauguration.
The President said his major concern was how to resettle the displaced persons immediately after the flood recedes from mid-November as projected. Jonathan regretted that some states of the federation, including his home state Bayelsa, were about 70 per cent submerged. He said his government was sad that Nigeria was facing what he called its unfair share of the global phenomenon and tasked members of the committee to ascertain the impact of the flood on the people raise funds to complement or augment government’s efforts to mitigate the pains and advise government on other things incidental.
He said he expected the job to be completed in 12 months. Jonathan said, “When people face this kind of flood devastation, it is no longer a national issue, it is an international issue because of the magnitude of refugees. “This is a country of 167 million as at November last year’s projection. It’s almost a year since that figure was released though the Commission is yet to release fresh figures. We are definitely more than that now. “
And when you consider the fact that about 25 per cent or so of these communities are impacted by that, though the actual figure of the land and area affected is yet to get to us, have been affected by the flood. “I spoke to my governor yesterday, he was so desperate because he said people do not even have food because all the channels of communications to Bayelsa State has been blocked by water. “So you have enormous responsibility but we believe you are equal to the task.”
“The President seized the occasion to again sympathize with the victims, assuring of his government’s commitment to ameliorate their suffering. “Let me again emphasis and express my empathy with victims of flood across our country. We as a Government feel terribly worried, we feel sad that this ravaging flood is really affecting so many of our people.
There are so e states that 50 to 70 per cent including my state are under water. This is why in addition to measures we have taken in terms of releasing funds to government agencies and directly to state governments to assist in helping to manage this disaster, we feel compel to set up this committee to generate funds to assist government in managing these people. The committee’s key responsibility is one, to have an overview of the degree of impact of the floods.
Most of you as individuals or as organizations have been going round and helping, you have the bird’s eye view of what the country is facing. You are to especially raise funds to complement or augment Federal Government’s effort to cushion the immediate effect if flooding and the resettlement and recovery of affected persons.”
This is most critical because when people are under stress, they can endure a lot but the flood will surely recedes we believe before the middle of November the flood will go if it is the normal flood we have witnessed before. After that what happens to the people, that is even what disturbs me more than when people are under stress.
 DailyPost