The Nation Newspaper

Tag: materials

  • Monarch donates materials

    The traditional ruler of Isiagu in Anambra State, Igwe Augustine Nwankwo, has donated relief materials to flood victims.

    The gesture is coming as some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) continue to leave the camps for their communities.

    The monarch delivered the materials to the Office of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), where the Flood Disaster Management Committee, led by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Oselloka Obaze, has an office.

    The relief materials were received by the state

    The Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Prof. Chinyere Okunna as well as the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Lady Azuka Enemuo, received the materials.

    The items include bags of rice, cartons of Indomie noodles and yams.

    Prof Okunna noted that though the flood was receding, there was still hunger in the camps.

    The commissioner said the Peter Obi administration was ensuring that the displaced persons remain happy.

    She noted that the gesture showed that the efforts of the state government and the flood committee were appreciated.

    Enemuo said since the floods began in September Anambra residents have shown that they are their brothers’ keepers.

    She said: “Obi has vowed that he would never abandon those people in camps. Yet, some of those in the camps still want to go back to their communities.

    “Our major concern now is how to resettle those people affected and that is why we are still pleading with them to exercise patience”.

    The monarch of Isiagu Kingdom in the state, Igwe Augustine Nwankwo, said, he had been having sleepless nights since the incident happened, adding that he had to come no matter how little it was to sympathise with the victims.

     

  • ACN donates materials to Imo flood victims

    The Imo State Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) yesterday donated relief materials to the victims of floods in Oguta and Ohaji-Egbema local government areas.

    The materials include bags of rice, clothing, toiletries and assorted food items.

    Addressing stakeholders at Oguta Civic Centre, the leader of the delegation and the Chairman, Chukwudi Charles Ubah, said the party was moved by the plight of the victims.

    He described the ACN as a caring party.

    Ubah led the party’s team to the palace of the traditional ruler of Oguta, Eze Nnani Nzeribe.

    The party chairman told the residents that ACN is committed to the welfare of its supporters.

    He said: “We keep in touch with our members during and after elections. ACN is the only political party in Nigeria that has remained committed to the welfare of its members, even in states where the party is not in power. We have come today to commiserate with our people and other victims who lost their homes and means of livelihood to the unfortunate disaster.”

    A resident, Prof. Ike Azogu, thanked the party for the gesture.

    He said: “We are happy that you are here to assist our people. Oguta has a soft spot for the ACN. As you may be aware, the flood has receded and we are battling with the post-disaster challenges. We solicit your kind support in any form.”

    The party’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Chuks Amaechi, said ACN was commiserating with members and non-members of party.

    He added: “We are your friends and we will not abandon you in your times of trial. We are not here today to campaign; we are here to give succor, in our own little way, to our brothers and sisters who are suffering.”

    Another resident, Chief John Ifeanyi, hailed the party for the gesture.

    He said: “You are the first political party to come and visit us with relief materials. I assure you that at the right time we won’t forget.”

     

  • Victims decry diversion of materials

    Some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in various camps in Anambra State have alleged that they were being shortchanged with the relief materials sent by the state government, philanthropists and organistions.

    The state government had set up 26 camps to accommodate the displaced persons.

    The IDPs spoke when the Special Adviser to the President on Technical Matters, Nze Akachukwu Nwankpo, visited the St. James’ Church camp at Odekpe in Ogbaru Local Government Area.

    They noted that because of the action of such people, items distributed to them were always in short supply.

    One of the IDPs, Mrs. Hannah Nwolise, alleged that her household was in the camp, following their evacuation from Agwe settlement.

    She said the residents near the camps, mostly women, besieged the place with their children and shared the materials with victims.

     

  • Ex-militants donate N52.7m relief materials to flood victims

    Ex-militants in the Niger Delta have bought relief materials worth N52.7 million for flood victims in Rivers, Edo, Bayelsa, Delta and Cross River states.

    The items included mattresses, pillows, bags of food items, salt, palm oil, vegetable oil, yam tubers and toothpaste, among others.

    The Head of the Reintegration Department in the Amnesty Office, Abuja, Mr. Lawrence Pepple, said each of the 26,358 ex-militants donated N2,000 from their October allowance for the purchase of the relief materials.

    Three truck-load of relief materials were yesterday presented to the Rivers State Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr. Emeka Nwogu, at the State Secretariat Complex in Port Harcourt.

    Pepple urged Nigerians to emulate the ex-militants.

    Nwogu said the amnesty initiative of the late former President Umaru Yar’Adua was a step in the right direction.

    He said: “Nobody thought something good could come from the ex-militants, who were mostly referred to as devils in human flesh, since they were agitating with guns and other sophisticated weapons. We now know that they have human feelings and sympathy.

    “Some people criticised the late Yar’Adua for granting amnesty to the repentant militants. We are now confirming that the amnesty is a success. Not everything is achieved by the use of force. The late Yar’Adua behaved like a father.

    “If he had wiped out the militants, these 26,358 youths would not have presented relief materials to floods victims today.”

    Nwogu assured the ex-militants that the materials would get to the victims.

    He urged the federal government to assist in resettling the victims when the water recedes.

    In Edo State, the Head of Capacity Building in the Amnesty Office, Mr. Joel Bisina, presented the items to the Chairman of the State Relief Committee, Hajia Maimuna Momodu.

    Hajia Momodu said she was impressed by the gesture.

    She denied allegations that relief materials were being diverted by some persons in the state.

    Haajia Momodu said: “For Edo State, I can tell you categorically that there is no diversion. It is not happening. We treat all victims fairly and take stock in all the camps while distributing the materials.”

     

  • Floods: Ateke Tom flays diversion of relief materials

    •Says it will attract God’s wrath

    Diverting relief materials meant for victims of floods in Rivers state and others will be criminal and attract God’s wrath, a former militant leader in the Niger Delta, Chief Ateke Tom, has declared.

    He spoke yesterday in Ahaoda West after donating relief materials worth millions of naira to victims of the disaster in the area.

    He warned those diverting relief materials meant for the poor and displaced victims to desist, expressing displeasure over the act.

    The deputy governor, Tele Ikuru, had admitted to newsmen that relief materials, which cost the state over N300million, were being diverted.

    Ikuru, who is also the Chairman of the Rivers State Flood Relief Committee, declared that the criminal diversion of relief materials by leaders of communities would not be tolerated.

    Akete, who was represented by his senior aide, Mr. Richard Akinaka, pleaded with persons diverting relief materials to fear God.

    He said: “When you divert what is given to the poor to survive, whatever prayer made in anger by the displaced poor people on the matter will be answered by God. You cannot take away food from a hungry man and expect him to be happy.

    “Dubious people exist everywhere. You cannot take away unscrupulous human elements from every society. But I advise that it is necessary to be wary of stealing from the poor.

    “It is bad to hear that those who are supposed to give to the poor are the same people taking the materials given to the poor.”

    Ateke donated items of 50 bags of rice, eight bags of beans, 15 bags of salt, cartoons of soap, 200 litres of palm oil and groundnut oil.

    The camp coordinator, Mrs. Caroline Okpokiri, identified lack of big pots to cook food items for the displaced people as one of the major challenges facing the camp.

     

  • ACN donates materials to Kogi flood victims

    The Kogi State Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) yesterday donated materials to victims of recent floods.

    The items, which were said to have cost N500,000, were presented to displaced persons at Adankolo, Lokoja, the state capital.

    ACN Chairman Mallam Haddy Ametuo presented the items.

    He said the party shared gifts during campaigns and presented materials to people in their moments of joy and grief.

    Ametuo said: “Though we are not in government, but as an organised political party, we are very responsible. That’s why we’ve come to the aid of our people. These items were donated because of the party’s policy of assisting the less privileged, not necessarily during electioneering campaigns.”

     

     

     

     

  • Edo distributes relief materials to flood victims

    Edo distributes relief materials to flood victims

    The Edo State Government yesterday began the distribution of relief materials to flood victims.

    Over 30 communities in three local government areas of the state have been submerged.

    The materials include mattresses, blankets, clothing, food, toiletries, beverages and drugs.

    Doctors and nurses were also on ground to attend to the victims’ medical needs.

    The distribution was handled by the Edo Relief Committee and the State Emergency Relief Agency.

    Committee Chairman Hajia Maimuna Momodu assured the materials would be evenly distributed.

    She urged the Federal Government to assist the state in alleviating the suffering of the victims.

    Governor Adams Oshiomhole had earlier ordered the release of N100 million for the provision of relief materials to the victims.

    When the governor visited the submerged communities, many of them were no longer accessible.

    He had to inspect some in a helicopter and others in a canoe. Oshiomhole said: “What has happened is an act of God and no one can challenge the will of God. In other parts of the country, we have heard of the loss of lives, but, so far, we have not recorded any death. Let us pray that the river goes back to its boundary.

    “President Goodluck Jonathan is concerned about this calamity. The government will try as much as possible to reduce the hardship suffered by the people by providing relief materials. What we cannot change we will bear.

    “We will send relief materials, which must be shared to everybody, irrespective of party affiliation.

    “Doctors would be sent to treat the sick. We will also send buses to take those trapped in the flooded communities to the rehabilitation centres.”

     

     

    “The entire area is in a terrible shape. We could not even land the helicopter because everywhere was flooded. I was surprised, because I passed through these communities a few months back and everything was okay. This is a serious natural disaster and it is not limited to riverside communities. Even communities that are more than three-four kilometres away from the river have been taken over by water.

    “Farmlands have been destroyed and property lost. I saw dead goats and sheep floating on the water. I had to paddle the canoe to move round the affected areas. A whole church is right inside water; it is unbelievable.

    “Nature is angry. We can only pray that God takes control and the water recedes. Of course there are immediate and long terms social and economic consequences, but in the long run, I believe the state and Federal government would find long and short term solutions, should this kind of thing happens again.

    “Presently, I do not see any scientific thing we can do to get rid of the water. We have serious humanitarian challenges and I think the immediate one is to provide food and shelter.”

    Richard Okowele (41), who has lived all his life in Illushi, said he has lost a part of his house and what is left of it is on the verge of collapse.

    For Isaac Isimoni, his two wives and 11 children, they are hoping that help gets to them before the Ilushi Secondary School, where they are squatting, is completely taken over by flood.

    At Udochi, Mallam Musa Aliu said: “We woke up one morning and saw that water had taken over our community. Several houses have been submerged and we have lost our property. We were forced to abandon all we had. I have no clothes anymore. I have been wearing this cloth for the past two weeks. Many people were injured, but we thank God that no one died. The council chairman brought food for us and that is how we have been feeding.”

    President of the Udochi Development Asociation Zakari Jubril, an engineer, said: “We were scared of an epidemic, but the evacuation of victims to relief centres has alleviated our fears. We pray the water level subsides, so that the people can go about their normal life again. People had to climb trees for survival; it was a pitiable sight.”

     

  • Philanthropist donates N5m materials

    A philanthropist and publisher of Orient magazine, Mr Godwin Ezeemo, has donated N5million worth of relief materials to flood victims in five local government areas of Anambra State.

    The materials included 300 cartons of water guard comprising 12 packs per cartoon (for treating water), 500 bags of sachet water, 50 bags of rice, 10 coolers of cooked rice, drugs worth several thousands of naira, free medicare and N500,000 cash donation to Anambra East and Anambra West local government areas.

    Ezeemo was accompanied by some members of the state branch of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), who treated the victims.

    He thanked God that nobody died in Anambra East and Anambra West councils, despite the devastation of the floods.

    The philanthropist and his team promised to extend the gesture to Awka North, Anyamelum and Ogbaru councils.

    He addressed Anambra East flood victims at Aguleri in company of Igwe Chukwuemeka Ajado of Ukwala; Igwe Tony Onyekwelu of Owere community and Igwe Christopher Nwabunwanne Idigo of Aguleri, among others.

    Ezeemo said when the floods began, he set up a panel, headed by Chief Norbert Udoye, to assess the extent of damage, to enable him determine the level of assistance to give the victims.

    A victim and beneficiary of free health services of the Ezeemo team, 70-year-old Pa Dieli Mbanefo, noted that the free health service was a good gesture.

    Igwe Idigo hailed Ezeemo for his assistance to the flood victims.

    The monarch said Governor Peter Obi had donated relief materials to the victims.

    But Igwe Ajado appealed to the state and the Federal Governments to be more pro-active because the floods were not abating and that they have affected the people’s means of livelihood.

    The floods have affected more communities in Awka North.

    A House of Assembly member, representing the area, Rebbeca Udoji-Paragon, has said rice and cassava farmlands in Awba Ofemmili, Ugbene, Ugbenu, Achalla and Amanuke communities have been submerged.

    She urged the state and the Federal Government as well as the agencies responsible for distributing relief materials not to abandon Awka North.

    The lawmaker said over 500,000 hectares of rice and cassava plantations were destroyed while over 30,000 residents have become homeless.

  • NEMA distributes relief materials

    NEMA distributes relief materials

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) yesterday began the distribution of relief materials to flood victims in 14 local government areas of Niger State.

    An official of the agency said the gesture is to cushion the effect of the flood.

    He added that the materials would alleviate the condition of the people.

    The items distributed include mattresses, nylon mats, buckets, mosquito nets, blankets, bags of rice, guinea corn, maize, millets and sugar, cartons of soap, powdered milk, beverages, noddles, water, palm oil and clothing materials.

    Handing over the materials to Sani Kutigi, a member of the House of Representatives, the Director-General of the agency, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Sidi, said they were donated to cushion the effect of the flood.