ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Bayelsa State Flood Mitigation and Management Task Force, has confirmed the birth of 12 babies at the Oxbow Lake IDP camp in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, on Sunday.
It was gathered that the births were not recorded in a single centre as there are several non designated IDP camps in public and private environs.
The Chairman of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Walamam Igurubia, while confirming the births, noted that among them were a set of triplets and three sets of twin babies.
According to him: “In the Oxbow Lake (IDP camp), we had a set of triplets; we have three sets of twins, that’s making it three plus six, nine. Then we had two births on Friday and Saturday. So, about 11 to 12 births.
“And we got a complaint of a woman stuck in her house after giving birth and she and her baby were very sick. Luckily, we were able to evacuate them to Diete-Koki Memorial Hospital. Whether we like it or not, women will always produce (babies).”
On his part, the chairman of the task force and Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Iselema Gbaranbiri, stated that the state government identified the cluster IDP centres and some private camps following an enumeration exercise.
Gbaranbiri informed that the succour to be distributed include bags of rice, garri, beans, among others, adding that it was the first phase of providing for the clusters and private IDP camps set up by neighbourhoods and public-spirited individuals at higher grounds around Yenagoa and its metropolis.
“We are distributing (relief items) to clusters within the Yenagoa metropolis. There are countless informal camps, and that tells you the population in Yenagoa. We have enumerated so many of them,” he added.
Also, the Commissioner said that over the time they gathered relief materials, the state government having released N900million in two tranches of N450million each.
He noted that they procured relief materials from within and outside the state. “We are still procuring. Now, most of it has been delivered to the local government areas through sub-committees. The items we are distributing include beans, garri, rice and others.”
Asked when the state government would officially close all IDP camps, he said: “Until the water recedes finally and that the state government is satisfied with what it had planned to do.”
While giving more insight into the distribution of food items to the clusters and private IDP camps, Igurubia noted that every flood victim might not be able to relocate to the IDP centres created by the government.
The SEMA boss, who doubles as a member of the flood committee, was optimistic that the distribution would help to reduce the suffering of affected residents, Daily Post reports.