Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, renowned philanthropist and humanist, who is also the Accord Rivers State governorship candidate for the 2023 election, on Friday, October 21, 2022, visited the Internally Displaced Persons camps located at Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA, to distribute relief materials to those who were dislocated by the floods presently causing havoc across the country, especially in Rivers State where it has ravaged communities, destroyed homesteafs and rendered thousands of Rivers indigenes homeless and hopeless.

It would be recalled that an attempt by Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, on Sunday, October 15, to visit the camp of flood victims from Ahoada West, Ahoada East and Abua LGAs, who had been displaced and rendered homeless by the flood situation, had met some restrictions and had to be aborted.

But the trip, this time around was more straightforward, fruitful and revealing, as the Accord Rivers Guber candidate at last had the opportunity to encounter the victims displaced by the floods and witness first hand, the desperately depressing state of the camps and the challenging conditions which the Internally Displaced people were living under.

Nia’Bari Fakae, SA Media to Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, who was part of the delegation on this humanitarian, compassionate mission of mercy to the flood victims in ONELGA, reported the journey, devoid of all political colourations and innuendos, in this very graphic narrative of the plight of the IDPs, titled: “The Flood of Misery in Rivers State and the Humane Thing to Do.“

“The utter misery of fellow humans has now become a ploy for power play, and this truly is sad. If you have not been to any of the sites, you may not understand the urgency of the situation. Sending relief materials to the IDP camps was eye-opening because what we saw was more than we imagined.

“There has been a lot of conversations about the flood situation in the nation, and zeroing down to Rivers State, a lot has transpired. The biggest concern now is the humane aid needed in the affected areas. However, it is sad that the unfortunate sack of the scores of communities by the flood, is not getting the humanitarian response it requires.

“The DLB Foundation took some relief materials to some camps and what we brought made a world of difference to them, but we also saw that more aid was needed. My principals disposition on arriving the first IDP camp was not that of someone who had done something grand, but that of someone who saw the need for more to be done. He wished we came with more, for as much as we brought, it still was not enough.

“The living conditions in the camp at Ogbogu community in ogba Ndoni is crude. With the flood came reptiles, insects and sickness. All the people have for roof over their heads is an uncompleted school building. The rooms are overcrowded, the building is uncompleted, the roofs are partly torn open, no doors, no windows, no floors, no toilets, no bathrooms. The camp keeps growing as more people join in everyday, and even the camp we visited was sure to grow by 3 because there were 3 women in labour at the Ogbogu Community camp.

“The people were overjoyed for our visit and what they got, they told tales of how they’ve had to endure inhumane conditions. A certain lady narrated how difficult life has been for them at the camps. Their nights were always eventful because of brawls over who would use the mattresses and the nets, as 2 single beds as given to a room of 25 Men women and children. After much hassle, the mattress are put away and everyone gets to sleep on the ground and no one gets to use any of the mattress, just because what is sent it not nearly enough.

“Away from the flood, their conditions are even worsened by inhumane camp management, because we gathered that even the little that is sent for relief, is stolen from the people and sold for gain. It is surely a humanitarian crisis, and while it is not in our immediate power to do something about the flood, we can do something about the people and the aid they get.

“Before one attempts to speak of politicizing the gestures made by the DLB Foundation to provide relief for the IDP Camps, it is important not to forget the person in question. DLB has always sort ways to help, and his has goodwill piled up from having the culture of impacting lives. Seeking for was to help is the humane and required thing to do now, and DLB has said that he will pay frequent visits to these camps till the situation improves.

“It is imperative that we put our party colors aside and collaborate to provide sustained help, because the flood knows no party colors or faithfuls, just humans and properties in its way.”

After attending to the needs of the flood victims at the Ogbogu IDP camp in Ogba Egbema Ndoni LGA, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs then proceeded to Ahoada, met with the Ekpeye Flood Committee, inquired of the needs of the flood victims there, and also donated foodstuffs and Relief Materials to the Ekpeye people.

Though it was already dark, yet, even the darkness could not stop him from reaching out to the people, for he has resolved not to rest until the flood victims have their rest.

Writing on verified social media handles, the Accord Rivers State Governorship candidate, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs captured the pathetic conditions of the flood victims now living as internally displaced people in the camp provided for them in ONELGA, thus:

The Need for the Aid is Now.

Yesterday, 20th October was a mix of emotions for me as I saw first hand what our people of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni are going through. 

Unlike the trip we made on Sunday where we had restrictions reaching out to the people in the camps, we saw for ourselves and it is truly a sad situation. 

The deplorable state of the makeshift camps were my first concern. These people have to live in uninhabitable conditions because they have no options. 

Besides losing their homes, properties and sources of livelihood, their health is also under steady attack as people keep falling sick everyday. Children and their parents have to sleep on the floor, being ravaged by mosquitoes and other insects. 

We attempted immediate medical aid for some in the camp in addition to the relief materials, but we noticed that people were getting more prone to illness and it got me thinking, what happens next week if the flood does not reduce? Being at the camps made me realize that the relief gestures ought to be more frequent, and many more people need to partner to provide hope for these our brothers and sister who have been displaced.

I will stay committed to doing my best to help the situations, but I take this opportunity to ask that we give the aid now, without seeking any form of advantage. Their misery ought to be the misery of the state, thus we all need to seek and provide true humanitarian aid as it is more expedient now more than ever.

#TheWeAgenda 

#PuttingPeopleFirst