The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has tasked charitable persons, governments, religious groups and other organisations to remember the people of Benue State and others in distress, as the world celebrates the International Day of Charity on the 5th of September.
Obaseki said the scale of the crisis resulting from the flooding in parts of Benue State was beyond the power of the Benue State Government alone and urged global leaders, captains of various industries as well as religious leaders to mobilise resources for victims of the flood.
“The International Day of Charity set aside by the United Nations reinforces our common humanity, shared values and love for one another especially in times of crises,” Obaseki said.
He decried the lack of accurate climatic data to guide builders and developers in flood prone areas at the local government level where much of uncontrolled development takes place.
The governor commended President Muhammadu Buhari for throwing the federal government’s weight behind efforts to assist victims of the floods in Benue State as he earlier did for Edo State and others that were affected by floods a couple of months ago.
He lauded similar support by individuals and groups, some of whom made donations without disclosing their identities as well as local groups that participated in rescue efforts during the crisis.
The United Nations Day of Charity is marked on September 5th every year.
The day is set aside to recognize the role of philanthropy in the eradication of all forms of poverty and attending to the needs of the most vulnerable people.
