The Bayelsa State Government on Sunday threatened to arrest and prosecute 2012 flood victims from the site of Bishop Dimeari Grammar School, (BDGS) Yenagoa if they fail to comply with its vacation order.

The victims have severally lamented their plight as the flood intervention funds in excess of N600 million and donations from different sources collected by the Seriake Dickson administration were allegedly diverted, leaving the victims to their fate.

It would be recalled that business mogul Chief Mike Adenuga had also presented a cheque of N500 million to Dickson during the flood period in 2016.

The Flood Management Committee headed by Chief Francis Doukpola has denied involvement in the alleged diversion of the billions of naira meant to tackle the flood. It said that it received a paltry sum of N10 million, which included its running cost.

The committee, which was supposed to be permanent given fact that Bayelsa is situated within the flood plains, lamented that it was compelled to close shop because Dickson starved it of funds to operate.

Some Bayelsa Communities were recently reported to be submerged in the middle of September while residents are cut off in Ogbia council area.

Hundreds of victims of the 2012 flood disaster that affected the state have been taking refuge in the school premises since 2012 and refused to vacate the place when the flood receded.

The threat to eject them is contained in a statement issued by Bayelsa Commissioner for Education, Deacon Markson Fefegha. The statement called on the staff and students of BDGS to commence movement to its original site in Yenagoa Local Government Area as directed by government.

The Bayelsa Government said that the school is expected to commence movement to its original site on October, 24 2016.

The original BDGS is currently being occupied by Law Faculty of the state-owned Niger Delta University (NDU) and some residents that are yet to vacate the premises.

The State Government blamed the delay in the movement of the school to its original site on the activities of illegal occupants.

The commissioner warned the trespassers to vacate the premises or incur the wrath of the law.

He said: “All illegal occupants of buildings in the premises of BDGS, Yenagoa, are by this statement advised to vacate the premises on or before Sunday, 23rd of October, 2016.

“The State Ministry of Education has served enough notice and delayed the return of the school, on sympathy grounds.

“However, the government shall be compelled to invite the law enforcement agencies to effect the arrest and prosecution of all illegal occupants that will be found from Monday, 24th of October, 2016.

“The general public and especially staff and students of BDGS should please take note and comply.”

The Acting Public Relations Officer of the NDU, Mr Ingezi Idon, however, said that the eviction order did not affect the Law Faculty of the university.

“The eviction order does not affect the Faculty of Law, rather it affects illegal occupants that occupied the premises during the 2012 flood of the premises,” he said.

One of the residents who prefers not to be named said that they were compelled to remain as the funds meant to rehabilitate them were diverted.

“Where do they want us to go, they diverted the flood intervention fund and now they are bent on evicting us from this place, let them go ahead but they should remember that there is God,” he said.

•Photo shows flood scene.

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