Niger Delta House of Representative members have called for the resignation of the Humanitarian Minister, Sadiya Farouq, over her comments about Bayelsa not being the most affected state hit by the ravaging floods.
The minister had earlier stated that according to data provided, Jigawa State was the most-hit state.
The Niger Delta lawmakers however, have described the data as insulting in a media briefing on Monday in Abuja, while the minister received knocks from other concerned groups and Nigerians.
The lawmakers added that should the minister refuse to resign, the President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), should sack her.
The lawmaker representing Sagbama Ekeremor Constituency, Frederick Agbedi, who spoke on behalf of the other lawmakers said, “We call on the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to honourably resign her appointment as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, failing which Mr President should relieve her of her appointment immediately.
“We the Niger Delta members of the house of representatives, strongly and unequivocally condemn in strong terms, the statement credited to the honourable minister as insensitive, unpatriotic and unnationalistic. While we are not denying the fact that other states in the federation are also affected, the comparison and figures given by the honourable minister show a glaring attempt to downplay the harsh reality on ground.”
“Surprisingly, she put the number of persons injured in Bayelsa state at 81 and the number of deaths at 91,” Agbedi said.
Recall that the leader of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, Edwin Clark, had earlier tackled the humanitarian affairs minister saying she was inhumane towards victims of the flood in Bayelsa and other areas in the southern region.
Agbedi, further queried the minister saying the showed no empathy to the flood victims.
He said, “The figures are not only an insult to the good people of Bayelsa state but to all the victims of the flood who have gone through the trauma of braving the elements by sleeping outside on dugout canoes, rooftops and floodwater floors.
“The honourable minister instead of visiting the affected areas to get firsthand information and empathise with the victims, is relying on some armchair statistician from far away Abuja to paint a fake picture to Nigerians. It is unfortunate that a state like Bayelsa which contributes massively to the economy of the nation is abandoned in its time of need,” the lawmaker said.
