Sowore knocks Buhari over Nigerians’ plight as floods ravage Bayelsa, Kogi, others

The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC),  Omoyele Sowore,has condemned what he described as a high level of irresponsibility of the President Muhammadu-Buhari-led government over the sufferings of Nigerians affected by flood across the country.

So far, over 600 Nigerians have been killed, more than a million displaced, and 45,000 houses have been destroyed alongside more than 70,000 hectares of farmland.

In the face of this disaster, he said the Buhari government has proven incapable of taking even the most basic steps to save lives and bring succor to those affected.

The statement by Onyinye-Gandhi Chukwunyere, AAC Presidential Campaign Spokesperson on Wednesday read, “We wish to point out that successive governments of both the APC and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have failed to make the required investments in infrastructure, especially flood control dams and drainage systems which would have mitigated the impact of this disaster on the Nigerian people.

“As deadly floods ravage many communities across the country, Nigerians have again found themselves helpless and abandoned by the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC), government.

“As we write, no serious and well-coordinated emergency response measures have been instituted by the APC government. There have been no search and rescue efforts in the affected communities, nor have there been any steps or even plans to provide conducive alternative accommodation and necessary supplies to those who have lost their homes and livelihood. Many Nigerians are still trapped in flooded communities with no hope of getting out alive. Sadly, this may further increase the death toll.

“It is even more worrisome that, as climate change escalates, this government has demonstrated little commitment to adopting sound, climate-friendly policies designed to tackle it.

“However, unlike the presidential candidates of the APC, the PDP, and the Labour Party (LP) who have all shown very little understanding of contemporary trends in climate change and its impact on the socioeconomic well-being of Nigerians, the AAC and candidate Sowore have consistently discussed the issue, and have put forward a Green Manifesto which seeks to aggressively combat climate change and it’s potential impacts on our people. Indeed, the entirety of our proposed economic and social interventions are drawn specifically to deliver solutions while protecting the climate.

“Under our Green Economy programme, we will build the infrastructure, especially dams and drainage systems required to protect our communities from future floods. The foundations of our economy will rest on smart and efficient production processes, with green energy gradually replacing traditional, unclean energy sources. Our cities and towns will be smartly designed and built to cope with rising water levels. We will retool and strengthen the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to make it more responsive to the needs of Nigerians whenever disaster strikes. The AAC government will not leave the Nigerian people at the mercy of raging flood waters.

“The 2023 elections provide an excellent opportunity for Nigerians to reject these insensitive and inept politicians and parties who seem to want power for power’s sake. We urge them to queue behind Omoyele Sowore and the AAC so that together, we can build a nation that works.”