The decision was reached at the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting presided over by the State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, who also set up a special committee to facilitate prompt and effective response to the flood emergency in the state.
The Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said in a statement that the SEC also directed the Ministry of Health to set up an emergency health response unit in the state to mitigate the effect of the flood on the people.
Iworiso-Markson said that the Emergency Health Response Unit of the Ministry of Health was designed to monitor and prevent the outbreak of diseases like cholera during the period covered by flooding in Bayelsa.
According to him, the Director of the State Emergency Management Agency briefed the State Executive Council on the flood situation and said that the agency would kick-start the distribution of relief materials to affected communities on Saturday.
The commissioner advised the Bayelsa citizenry not to panic as the government was making all efforts to secure lives and properties in the state.
He said that a large number of communities in virtually all the local government areas were seriously affected by the flooding especially in Ekeremor, Sagbama, Ogbia, Southern Ijaw and indeed all the eight local government areas.
He said, “The Bayelsa State Executive Council has directed immediate closure of all schools including private institutions in the state as a precautionary measure to avoid loss of lives to severe flooding in the state.
“The Government has also set up a Special Committee to coordinate activities relating to the flood which has affected several communities in the state.
“The State Executive Council also directed the Commissioner for Health to set up an Emergency Response Unit to monitor and prevent the outbreak of diseases like cholera and others associated with flooding.
“The Director in charge of SEMA briefed the State Executive Council on the flood situation and said that the agency would commence distribution of relief materials on Saturday.
Government is taking all measures to secure lives and property; the good people of Bayelsa should not panic.”
