Touchaheart Nigeria reports that the warehouse, which was originally meant to house relief materials for victims of the 2022 flood, was breached and its contents plundered by residents on Sunday night.
The Director General of BYSEMA, Walamam Igrubia, expressed deep concern over the safety of those who participated in the looting.
He explicitly stated, “These items are unfit for human consumption and a responsible, caring government like ours will not give Bayelsans such items as palliatives.”
Igrubia, during a visit to the premises, witnessed the remnants of food items that were no longer suitable for consumption, including rice and garri.
These items had been removed from the warehouse and placed outside for disposal the following day.
It is important to clarify that these items were not fresh food palliatives and were not being hoarded by BYSEMA or the state government.
Essentially, there were no valuable food items to loot in the true sense.
The agency emphasizes that those who took the decaying items should, in their own interest, refrain from consuming them.
While Igrubia assured Bayelsans of the agency’s readiness to distribute palliatives provided by the Federal Government to counter the effects of the fuel subsidy removal policy and the anticipated flooding this year, concerns were raised by a resident named Alagoa Morris.
Morris criticized BYSEMA for allowing the stored items to deteriorate without distributing them to the victims of the 2022 flood that had devastated the state.
Morris’s perspective highlights the frustration of the residents who, in a moment of desperation, resorted to breaking into the warehouse to access the supposed palliatives.
The fact that the items were left unused and unallocated raises questions about effective disaster relief management and distribution processes.
As Morris eloquently stated, “If truly 2022 monster flood-related items were so stocked and denied victims, it is unfortunate and leaves much to be desired.”
In the midst of this incident, a video footage surfaced, revealing the extent of the looting.
The warehouse, located on Isaac Boro Expressway, had been forcefully entered and its contents scattered.
The actions of the looters, while born out of necessity, reflect the larger issues of governance and the accessibility of basic necessities in the region.
This unfortunate incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for efficient disaster response strategies and transparent distribution mechanisms.
The responsibility lies not only with the government agencies but also with the community to work collectively towards ensuring that relief materials reach those who are truly in need.
While the immediate situation highlights the struggles faced by the residents, it also underscores the broader challenges that must be addressed to prevent such incidents in the future.
As Bayelsa grapples with the aftermath of the 2022 flood and braces for potential flooding in the coming year, the focus should be on collaborative efforts to provide timely and effective assistance to those affected by natural disasters.
This event is a call to action for all stakeholders to reevaluate and improve the systems in place, ensuring that relief reaches its intended recipients and that no one is forced to resort to drastic measures in their search for sustenance.
