• Lokpobiri commiserates with Bayelsa flood victims

The Bayelsa State government has told community leaders across the state to stop interfering in the distribution of relief materials meant for designated Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in their communities.

The Commissioner for Environment and Chairman of the State Flood Management and Mitigation Task Force, Mr. Iselema Gbaranbiri, spoke yesterday in Yenagoa, the state capital, during continuation of the distribution of relief materials to IDPs in the state.

He said relief materials delivered at the IDP camps were to be managed by authorised persons coordinating such camps or clusters and not community heads, Council of Chiefs or Community Development Committee (CDC) chairmen.

The commissioner said the directive became necessary because of reports of interference by community leaders with the distribution of items meant for IDPs, which had left the IDPs with little or nothing.

Also, a former Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has commiserated with flood victims in Bayelsa State.

In a statement yesterday by his Media Adviser, Mr. George Oji, the former minister also lauded the timely efforts of Governor Douye Diri for providing the needed support to the people.

Lokpobiri urged the Federal Government to take the lead role rather than leave the state government to contend with the disaster alone.