The Presidency, while sympathising with the flood victims in Bayelsa state, said that "almost every state in Nigeria has been affected," and added that federal assistance was coming to the states in batches.
The Presidency has dismissed calls for the resignation of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq over her comments on the recent floods that have ravaged many states in the country.
The Niger Delta Caucus in the House of Representatives has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack Mrs Farouq over her comments that Jigawa state is the worst affected state by the recent flood disaster.
The lawmakers, this newspaper had reported, accused the minister of playing politics with the flood disaster.
An elder statesman and former federal commissioner for Information, Edwin Clark, who is also the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) had implored the federal government to act to save flood victims in the region and not abandon them, according to reports by Channels television.
Bayelsa State is one of the worst impacted in the region by the ravaging flood.
But reacting to Mr Clerk's claims, Ms Farouq, while briefing State House correspondents on Thursday, said based on her ministry's assessment, Bayelsa was not among the top ten most affected states by the recent floods.
Ms Farouq told reporters that Jigawa state is the most affected state.
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According to the federal government flood data as of 24 October, 257, 913 persons were affected in Bayelsa while 166, 076 were affected in Jigawa, Channels television said in its report.
Her comments triggered the calls for her sack by federal lawmakers from the Niger Delta.
Reacting to the calls for the minister's sack, Garba Shehu, spokesperson to President Buhari, argued that the level of damages "have clearly overwhelmed disaster management efforts".
He said calls for the resignation of Ms Farouq "are not appropriate in this climate."
The Presidency, while sympathising with the flood victims in Bayelsa state, said that "almost every state in Nigeria has been affected," and added that federal assistance was coming to the state in batches.
"All these efforts are coming ahead of the report of the committee under the auspices of the Nigerian Governors Forum, set up by the President 'to fashion out solutions and then escalate their conclusions to the Federal Government, to alleviate the plight of people currently being ravaged by flood around the country'
"This is just as more is being expected by way of international response and how much difference can be made by support from businesses and nonprofits as the country deals with its worst flooding in decades.
"We hope that everyone, the agencies of the federal government, the states and the local councils will increase the attention to pay to the challenges of climate change.
"The government at the centre will continue to do more for Bayelsa and for all states so affected as more and more resources are made available to agencies dealing... " Mr Shehu said.
