The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has begun the distribution of relief materials to victims of flood and windstorm in seven local government areas of Abia.
The gesture was done to sympathize with the communities that encountered havoc during raining season in 22 communities in Arochukwu, Umuahia North, Umuahia South, Aba North, Osisioma, Obingwa and Ikwuano council areas in 2021.
The Head of NEMA, Owerri Operations Office, Mr Nnaji Ifeanyi, who represented the agency’s Director-General, Mr Mustapha Ahmed, supervised the exercise, while the distribution took place at the office of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in Umuahia.
The items included 951 bags of 10kg of rice, 951 bags of 10kg of garri, 951 bags of 10kg of beans and 157 jerrycans of 20 litres of vegetable oil, 710 bags of cement, 740 bundles of roofing sheets, 370 packets of zinc nails and 460 bags
of three inches nails.
In a brief remark, Ahmed said that a joint team of assessors from Owerri and Abia SEMA had earlier conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the affected areas.
Mr. Nnaji Ifeanyi (right), Head, NEMA Operations, Owerri Office, presenting relief item to representative of Ozu Abam community, Mr. Chile Thompson.
Also, the Executive Secretary of SEMA, Mr Sunday Jackson, said the relief materials would offer succour to the affected people.
Jackson applauded the Federal Government for coming to the aid of the state, saying that Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu “should also be commended for providing the enabling environment”.
Contributing, the Secretary to the State Government, Abia State, Mr Chris Ezem, also eulogized the federal government “for choosing Abia as one of the beneficiary states.
Ezem, who was represented by Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Economic Affairs, Mr Franklin Onyema enjoined communities to always take precautionary steps to prevent the occurrence of some disasters.
Responding, a representative of Ozu Abam, one of the affected communities, Mr Chile Thompson said he was overwhelmed with joy over the government’s kind gesture.
According to Thomson, “these are the things people have been looking for to know that government remembers disaster victims for”.
