There was excitement in Igboeze North and Udenu Local Government Councils of Enugu State on Tuesday when officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) donated assorted relief materials worth millions of Naira to victims of flood disasters in the areas.
Over 90 percent of the entire communities in the two local governments that make up the Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency are expected to benefit from the gesture.
The materials included blankets, mattresses, clothes, mosquito nets and bags of salt. Bags of food items, toiletry, wears, seasoning, tomatoes and vegetable oil.
Director General of NEMA, Mr. Mustapha Maihaja, while handing over the materials to the beneficiaries, said that the donation followed a report of flood disaster and communal crisis which affected the communities in the state.
Maihaja, represented by the South East Zonal coordinator of NEMA, Mr. Major Eze, said that the humanitarian relief assistance by the federal government was to ameliorate the sufferings of the affected communities.
Eze who charged the community leaders to engage in discussion with their neighbours if there were any form of crisis or disagreement to forestall violence, urged them to report disasters in their community in time.
His words: “The NEMA DG was deeply pained by the devastation caused in the community which prompted him to move fast to cushion the effect of the disaster by approving the following items for the Federal Constituency:
(1) 600x10kg bags of beans, (2) 600x10kg bags of rice, (3) 600x10kg bags of maize, (4) 50x20kg bags of salt, (5) 150x20litres kegs of vegetable oil (6) 300 cartons of 14/28)/carton, (7) 150 cartons of seasonings cubes, (8) tin tomatoes 800×75″x36″x4″ mattresses, (9) 800 units of mosquito nets, (10) 800 units of blankets (GB36H)”
“These items were approved by the Federal Government through NEMA to support those that were affected by the disaster.
“We quite appreciate Hon. Simon Chukwu Atigwe who promptly brought this incident to the attention of NEMA and we urge everybody to be very active in promptly reporting disasters in their community.
“We urge community leaders to engage in discussions with their neighbours if there is any form of disagreement to forestall violence. Community leaders should champion the idea of planting trees to act as wind breakers during windstorm.
“These simple practices will make communities more resilient to human instigated and natural disasters. We hope and expect that these items will assist in reducing the disruptive effect of the disaster in the federal constituency.
Earlier, member representing Igbo-Eze North and Udenu federal constituency, Rt. Hon. Simon Atigwe lauded federal government and NEMA for their prompt intervention and assistance to the victims of flood and communal crisis.
Atigwe who regretted that 90% of over 150 communities in the constituency were affected by the disaster, appealed to federal government for more materials.
“I am glad to welcome you all who come for the distribution of relief materials to victims of flood and communal crisis. Most of us may recall the two-pronged incidents that affected the area and disrupted economic activities in our constituency.
“I thank the federal government, Enugu state government and NEMA for coming to the aids of flood and communal crisis victims. Like Oliver twist, we want some more because over 500,000 victims will be left behind,” he concluded.