…..Bayelsa govt pays victims medical bill
From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
More bodies have been recovered by the search and rescue team deployed at the scene of the Bayelsa boat mishap.
The President of Okpoama Kingdom Youth Movement, Mr Seiyefa Felix Ben- Basuo stated that two more bodies have been recovered by the rescue team.
According to him, one of the persons whose body was recovered has been identified as Ayebatorudigio, a trader from Okpoama in Brass Local Government Area.
Another source said the body of a toddler was also recovered while the search is on to recover more bodies before the tide washes them away.
Bayelsa State Government as part of efforts to ameliorate the agony of victims has taken over the medical bills of the victims
Governor Douye Diri, on Sunday, directed the Commissioner for Health to ensure that the state government picks the bill of hospitalised victims.
Diri who spoke during the Easter Sunday service at the King of Glory Chapel in Government House, Yenagoa again sympathized with families that lost individuals in the boat accident adding that the Health Commissioner should refund to survivors whatever they had spent on treatment.
His Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as directing all relevant authorities in the transport sector, especially those in charge of the waterways, to ensure that all safety measures were duly complied with henceforth to avert another of such accidents.
Governor Diri said his administration will not hesitate to sanction anyone found wanting in the discharge of their duties as the government will no longer allow such avoidable accidents.
Meanwhile a former governor of the state and immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources has expressed shock and sadness over the incident.
In a condolence message issued by his spokesman, Julius Bokoru, on Sunday, Sylva said the incident happened at the wrong time and sent prayers to the families of the victims of the incident.
“This tragedy chose an inauspicious time to come and while it is difficult, we must let the families know that we love them and we have them in our prayers,” he said.
Sylva, who is also an aspirant in the April 14th Bayelsa gubernatorial primary election, bemoaned what he described as a recent trend of marine accidents across the state; calling for better regulation of the state’s waterways by relevant authorities to forestall further boat mishaps.