Excerpts:
What was the experience of persons with disability during the flood?
The flood was a very sad experience most of my members were displaced. We had a disabled IDP camp although Bayesla State Government attended to us only once and released some relief materials to us.
Only once?
Yes. In other camps they kept on sending things to them. In fact, they fed them daily in other camps but our own only once. Apart from…
Why?
I don’t know. Some bags of rice, beans and garri. We spent about three weeks in the IDP camp and it was on Sunday, November 13, 2022, that they closed the camp, although we are still waiting on government to get back to us.
How many were you at the camp?
We were 553 persons.
That much ?. So how did you manage without the government support?
Most of us, on our own we managed ourselves on individual basis, if you get one naira, you buy something; some family members assisted their people too. That is how we managed.
Even yesterday, me and my exco we were supposed to meet the SCMA chairman but reaching the time of the meeting, he said he had as urgent call from Government House so he could not meet with us. Even next day, he said he has council meeting in Government House that he has to meet with them.
What of NGOs, churches, they didn’t visit?
From NGO, only one NGO visited us and they gave some palliatives, NAPTIP too visited us.
What of Church groups?
No. No church group visited us. We even on our own wrote letters to people for support like TBN. Your know, TBN on their own, time to time they normally reach out to us. So, we forwarded letters to the, to NDDC, to even Ezekiel, this Bayelsa man, Godbless, some supermarkets, but al of them promised that they will get back to us but they never came.
Where was your camp?
Old Women Affairs Ministry, Ovom
What do you want government to do?
What we want government to do is, as the flood is receding, at least, we need something to start life again, some starter pack because most of my members were displaced. Those donations from the NGOs, federal government, individuals and other governors, we should have our own share.
I finally met with the SEMA chairman and he said he was no longer in-charge that the Environment commissioner is incharge. Monday, I met with the commissioner who said that once the governor approves distribution of food items he would reach us.
