Senator Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, has assured victims of
the flood disaster that has sacked many communities across the country that the
federal government would come to their aids. He disclosed that the Senate has
raised a motion urging the federal government to raise a supplementary budget
to rehabilitate displaced people and communities.
Senator Okowa, who represents Delta North at the National
Assembly, gave the assurance when he led a team to deliver relief materials of
various food items, worth millions of naira, to flood victims in different
parts of the State. He lamented the devastating effect of the flood which has
continued to sack more coastal communities and those leaving by the bank of the
River Niger. He noted that of the states affected by the flood, Delta, Kogi,
Benue and Anambra were worse hit.
He disclosed that concerted efforts and logistics were
being put together by the three senators and ten House of Representatives
members representing Delta State in Abuja to assuage the sufferings of those
affected in about eleven local government areas in the state that include
Aniocha South, Oshimili North, Oshimili South, Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West,
Bomadi, Burutu, Isoko North, Isoko South, Patani and Ughelli South, and its
over 100 communities.
Senator Okowa who was visibly touched by the plights
and conditions of the flood victims thanked the Delta government, corporate
bodies and individuals that have assisted the victims in one way or the other.
He however, stressed that more efforts and assistance were needed for the
people to bounce back and live normal life.
He noted that emergency supplementary budgetary
allocation through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) by the
federal government has become imperative, as according to him, “the initial
funds for the agency will obviously not be enough to cater for the increasing
number of displaced persons. Enough funds are certainly needed to resettle
these people. A lot of money and assistance will be required. This is why the
federal government must bring in supplementary budget to attend to the needs of
the people.”
The law maker who had on his team, the Honourable
Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr. Kingsley Emu, former Commissioner
for Transport, Chief Lawrence Osiegbu and the Deputy Director-General of his
campaign organization, Chief Douglas Okolotu, among others, said that both the
state and federal government will undertake a comprehensive impact assessment
of affected communities to ascertain the level of damage and know what will be
done.
Various food items that range from hundreds of bags of
rice, tens of bags of garri, bags of beans, tens gallons of red oil, tens of
bags of salt, cartons of Derica tin tomatoes, cartons of Knorr cubes and
bunches of plantains were distributed at the various camps visited by the
Senator Okowa and his team.
At Saint Patrick College, Asaba and Utagba-Ogbe
Technical College, Kwale, Senator who went round some of the hostels, reminded
the people that though the occurrence was painful, they should not lose faith
in God, who he said has control over every situation. “Though the devastation
was much, we should not waver in our faith in God. We are here to sympathize
with you over the ugly incident which has become a source of worry to all
Nigerians” he stated.
He assured the people that government will continue to
make their interest a priority in this challenging time, even as he expressed
gratitude to God that lives were not lost.
He urged them to always maintain peace in the camp as
their present condition would soon be over. He said efforts should be made to
pay extra attention to the children and elderly among them. He promised to
visit again and identify with them. He later joined the people to pray and
thank God for not allowing any lost of life.
Meanwhile, Senator Okowa has donated relief materials
to flood victims in the two other senatorial districts of Delta Central and
Delta South. Those who received food items were victims camped at Oharisi Model
Primary School, Ughelli, in Delta Central; and AGSS, Ozoro, Saint Michael
College, Oleh and Patani, in Delta South.
200 tubers of
yams, 30 bags of rice, bags of garri, gallons of red oil, bags of salt, bags of
beans, cartons of tomato and Knorr cubes, were presented on behalf of Senator
Okowa at each of the camps by a community leader from the areas, Chief Pius
Ovbige.
Making the presentations, Chief Ovbige said the
gesture was part of Senator Okowa’s way of identifying with the flood victims
in their moment of pains. He urged those in-charge of the camps to properly
dispense the food items for the benefit of everybody in the camps.
Some of the victims who spoke with our reporter
including Charles Eweluzor, Ebere Ojabe, Theresa Obiwuru, Ikechukwu Nweke. They
thanked Senator Okowa for identifying with them in their moment of pain, and
prayed God to continue to bless him.
Senator Okowa had earlier, through his constituency
office, made provision of food items worth over a million naira and unspecified
amount of money to displaced persons at St. Patrick College, Asaba and some
communities in Delta North. The distributions were made by the Deputy
Director-General of his campaign organization, Chief Douglas Okolotu.
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