Hundreds of residents in
Kilama, Tein,Tambiri,Egbebiri communities within Biseni in Yenagoa Local
Government Area of Bayelsa have been rendered homeless following a violent
rainstorm.
The whirlwind that
accompanied the storm blew away the roofs of over 70 houses, five churches and
three schools and destroyed over electric poles, disrupting power supply to the
area.
Chief Difference Nemiya,
Paramount Ruler in Kilama said on Wednesday, that the incident which occurred on
Monday evening also destroyed many plantain plantations and farm crops as well
as economic trees.
” This natural disaster is
the worst I have witnessed in this community, there was one that happened in
the year 2000, but it was not this bad, as we speak we are still counting our
losses and the community is in an emergency mode.
“The secretary of the
community and some community leaders assigned to visit affected families have
been going round and accessing the damages and it even affected our neighbouring
settlements.
“Most of those displaced
have nowhere to go and we need emergency help from relevant government agencies
to bring relief and succour to the impacted people,” Nemiya said.
Mr Godhelp Okorobia, one
of the victims said that the storm destroyed both his father’s house and his
own house sacking seven of his tenants.
“We were at a meeting when
the weather changed and the windstorm started, my father’s house which is near
our meeting venue was deroofed by the wind and dropped in a different location
entirely, when I got home I saw my own house in ruins,” Okorobia said.
Another victim, Mrs May
Zuku, a 75 year old widow said that the disaster which happened within two
weeks of her husband’s demise was too much grief for her to bear within the
mourning period.
She appealed to Yenagoa
Local Government, Bayelsa government and public spirited individual to assist
with rehabilitating her husband’s residence destroyed by the incident.
Mr Ogiama Solomon, a
farmer said that his plantain farm was badly destroyed while the electric pole
fell on the roof of his residence was thankful to God for sparing human lives
in the entire community.
“In the midst of our loss,
we thank God that there was no loss of life, the electricity pole out their
fell near where a petty trader and her baby stay to sell and they were unhurt,
it is indeed a miracle,’ Solomon said.
Also Mr Lawrence Beneth, Deputy
Paramount Ruler in Kilama who lost part of his roof and adjoining buildings
appealed for relief materials to affected members of his community.
He said that the Member
Representing the area in the state House of Assembly Hon. Gentle Emela had
visited the area and pledged to draw the attention of the state government to
the plight of the people.
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