Jonathan’s close ally, Ankio Briggs, condemns president’s broadcast

Niger Delta activist Annkio Briggs speak

Ms. Briggs said President Jonathan’s government does not have the capacity to manage the floods.

A Niger-Delta rights activist and ally of President Goodluck Jonathan, Ankio Briggs, has criticised the president’s national broadcast, made on Tuesday morning.

In the broadcast, focused on the floods ravaging several states of the country, the President announced the categorization of flood affected states and the approval of monies to the states. Mr. Jonathan also announced the setting up of a committee to raise funds to address the floods.

Ms. Briggs, who spoke on a Channels Television program, however condemned each of the major decisions announced by Mr. Jonathan.

While speaking on the flood fund committee, Ms. Briggs said “setting up committee now, we are setting up committee now that will do what. The Government does not even know the affected communities.”

The rights activist who has just visited flood ravaged communities in some Niger-delta States like Bayelsa and Rivers also condemned the categorisation of flood ravaged states saying “it is not about categorising states in category A and B. How did they arrive at these categories?”

While talking about the money to be given to the affected states, Ms. Briggs said “it is not about funds. We have money. It is about help. Federal Government, States, Local Governments does not have capacity. We need international help.”

 

Declare disaster areas

Ms. Briggs said her observation from her visit to the affected communities shows that governments at all levels do not have the capacity to address the flood situation.

“They (governments) don’t have capacity to do anything. Nigeria does not have capacity to run this disaster, to manage this disaster,” she said.

She gave several examples of dire situations flood victims in the Niger Delta are living including living ion house ceilings, living in submerged houses and so on.

Ms. Briggs urged the Federal Government to declare flood ravaged states as disaster areas, and to seek international help in addressing the flood.

She urged the international community and aid agencies to come to the aid of Nigeria over the flooding.

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  • SilentObserver

    Spot on! Very well put. Evidently, a rushed move to pacify the “noise makers” like you that FGN is doing something. After all the forecast from the MET that this was highly likely? All we get is another another reactive Government Committee … and what with board room money bags? Where are environmentalists, urban planners, professional bodies – COREN etc? What do these business moguls know about disaster management? Evidently another opportunity for these political sponsors to be in the news! Unbelievable that weeks after lives and property have been lost, with no sound basis for defining the level of disaster, impacts and remediation required? These disbursements have never been distributed equitably from past experience, not sure if this one will be any different!

  • NAGODI

    VOTES ARE POWERFUL INDEED. WE MUST USE THEM WISELY NEXT TIME.

    • Wähala

      Are you by any chance @Saad Ibrahim Nagode of blessed Memory?

  • Adenrele Adeniran

    How can the president of a whole nation wake up 7.00am and tell me that he is setting up committee on flood control.

    Is that all what the broadcast is for, why do you have a government spokesperson or presidential adviser on communication, or even a minster in a relevant department.

    I would expect the president of my country to have more in his in-tray than to come and make a national broadcast on flood control. However this is Nigeria , where anything/everything does happens

    • Enemona

      My problem is not that the president is broadcasting on this issue but the shallowness exhibited every time his government attempts to solve problems. Lack of clear analysis and thoughtfulness. This is a government bereft of ideas and suffering from a serious case of ineptitude.

      Promising to throw money and committees at problems without proper plan to solve them is not the way forward. The president needs to properly analyze and tell us the causes of the flood and how government is planning to upgrade infrastructures to cope with such occurrences in the future. He also needs to tell us what the funds will be meant for. What advises the categorization and of what importance is it. There are smarter solutions to issues like this.

      What about the ecology fund? Why are we not using it now? I thought this is why it was set up. How much is left in the fund? How are we supposed to deploy the fund?

      This broadcast, like all others from Mr President, does not stand the test of substance. At best, it is wishy-washy.

  • angryniger

    committe, committee, committee, that is all GEJ ever comes up with, people have said this man is dumb, I am begining to agree with them, compare GEJ’s address to the nation to that of Obama on CNN last night with regards the super storm Sandy, they are miles apart, Obama spoke and carried himself as a President should, compare to our cap wearing dull, lack lustre GEJ, nthey are miles apart, okay GEJ came into this job ill prepared for it, but he has had over one and a half years at it now, he has no excuse of not performing now, it is obvious to all now that he cannot handle the job of being president, the honourable thing left to him is to resign, but alas this word is alien to Nigerians, so he will lead us nowhere, Nigeria is rudderless now, WE are in TROUBLE

  • johansen

    GEJ the committee presido

  • Wähala

    Calling for international help to manage floods. Soon, Nigeria will need help from the international community to contain maleria… this Govt. has no capacity to kill mosquitoes!

  • Vinny

    Why is she whining? This is their son of the soul effeing up big time at home as well. The International community will not come to Nigeria’s aid ,because it has leaders that are incompetent. Fix your problem by not voting for bunch of log of wood. Nigeria is already getting assistance in the security as it is, so learn to ask for one favour at a time.