Ebonyi lawmaker sympathises with family of three children killed in building collapse

The lawmaker representing Ohaozara, Onicha and Ivo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Livinus Makwe, at the weekend, paid a condolence visit to Mr Sunday Okereke’s family over the demise of three children of the family.

Tribune Online, earlier reported how Mr Okereke lost his three children in a tragic building collapse on November 1 at his home in Akaeze, Ohaozara local government area.

His wife, Elizabeth and one child survived the incident while he was away for his vigilante work.

Hon. Makwe reacted to the incident while he was in Abuja as he commiserated with the family on getting wind of the tragedy.

The lawmaker decided to visit the family in order to sympathize with them in person.

Makwe noted that what happened to the family was tragic while praying to Almighty God to comfort them.

“I was in Abuja when the incident happened and I sent my condolence message to the family and promised to visit when I come back from Abuja and that is why I am here today.

“What happened to you is very tragic, to lose three children in one night is terrible, but I want you to meditate on the faithful man, Job, who faced devastating circumstances all at once, yet his faith in God was very strong.

“Seeing the faithfulness of Job, God blessed him more than he was blessed before. So don’t let the situation make you lose your faith in God. Even when we are not happy with what happened, but God will still bless this family with more children. You and your wife are still young and your surviving child will also be a source of blessing to this family.

“What happened did not only affect Okereke family but also the people of Akaeze, Ivo and Ebonyi State at large. It is not good news, I know that at times you will wake up in the middle of the night or any other time because of the shock, but God through his spirit will help you to overcome.

“Accept the condolences of myself and my family,” he stated.

He commended the local government chairman, Hon. Ogbonnaya Ude, and the coordinator of Akaeze for their quick responses and interventions to ensure that the victims are provided with the basic necessities such as a place to live and the payment of hospital bills.

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He noted that even when he couldn’t present the matter on the floor of the National Assembly, that he wrote to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for their intervention.

“Actually, I looked at the matter from different angles with respect to my being in the National Assembly. I said should I bring it to the floor as a disaster, but I said it will not fly that way because it didn’t affect the entire community.

“But I did in a letter to NEMA which is now under the Ministry of Humanitarian and Disaster Management, hopefully, when I go back I will follow it up with them because this is a disaster and it’s something that calls for humanitarian intervention.

“The Federal Government has an agency like that, they should be able to help once there is a disaster anywhere no matter the quantum. But the quantum of this one is more than what can happen to a community because a community can be flooded with no life lost, but here three lives were lost. So once we get anything from there we will still push it,” he assured.

Mr Makwe also presented the family with an undisclosed amount of money.

Responding on behalf of the family, Chief Emmanuel Ude Okereke, thanked Hon. Makwe for his visit, he prayed God to continue to give him the wisdom to ensure effective representation in the National Assembly.

He announced that the mother of the children has since been discharged, adding that the Coordinator of Akaeze Development Center paid the hospital bills.

Hon. Makwe was accompanied to the place by the Local Government Chairman of Ivo, the Coordinator of Akaeze DC, SA on Internal Security and Utility, Ebonyi South, Coordinator of Echiele DC, PDP Chairman of Ivo LGA among others.