The Federal Government on Monday, presented relief materials worth millions of naira to persons affected by the 2022 flood disaster in Ondo State.
Speaking while lagging off the distribution of the materials in Akure the state capital, the Minister of State for Transportation, Mr Ademola Adegoroye, said the gesture was part of Presidential Palliatives to Year 2022 flood victims, championed by the Ministry of Niger Delta in collaboration with National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
The Minister said the materials including food stuffs, building materials and household utensils among other palliatives will be distributed to the victims at the SEMA warehouse, Akure.
Adegoroye who was represented by the Director, Internal Audit, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Tajudeen Fasasi said the distribution of the palliatives became necessary because of the concerns of President Muhammadu Buhari, for the people of the Niger Delta region.
He explained that the beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s gesture were drawn from the riverine areas of the state, especially Ilaje and Ese-Odo Local Government Areas where rain storms wreaked serious havoc last year.
According to him, President Buhari approved the relief materials for the flood victims in the states of the Niger Delta to alleviate the challenges that came with the 2022 flood, despite the assistance given to the affected states last year.
He said: “The relief materials approved for distribution are in four categories. These categories are: Social Relief Care Packs: This includes Mattresses, Pillows, Blankets, Cooking Pots etc. Nutritional Packs: This includes Cartons of Noodles, Bags of Rice, Bags of Beans etc”.
“The palliatives also included livelihood and building materials such as Grinding Machine, Sewing Machine, Hair Clippers, Cement, Roofing Sheet, Ceiling Board among others.
“These materials will be meticulously distributed in all the identified Local Government Areas of the Niger Delta States, so as to forestall diversion or any irregularities.
“The Communities or LGAs highly impacted by the effect of the flood were identified by NEMA through the Needs Assessment they conducted after the flood.
“And it is these identified Communities / LGAs that have been earmarked to be given these relief items in order to rehabilitate the people.
“The Palliative items will be handed over to NEMA for onward distribution to the beneficiaries as identified in the affected Communities/ LGAs.
“In addition, Government Officers and Security Personnel have been assigned to monitor the distribution exercise to ensure that these items get to those for whom they are meant”, he stressed.
The Minister emphasized that no amount of relief provided by the government can replace the losses as a result of the flood, but, the ministry and NEMA believe that the relief items will help alleviate the burden currently faced by the people.
In his remarks, the Director-General of NEMA, Mr Ahmed Habib, represented by Mr Kadiri Olanrewaju said the distribution exercise was the first phase, while the implementation of the second phase will also commence soon.
Also, a Member representing Ilaje/Ese-odo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Kolade Victor Akinjo, commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the agencies involved in the exercise and called for the proper monitoring of the distribution of the exercise.
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