Vice President, Mohammed Namadi Sambo has assured victims of the ravaging floods, that the Federal Government will never abandon them to their plight. The Vice President gave this assurance Friday at Ohaji/Egbema LGA of Imo State, as he commences the second leg of the tour of affected flood areas.
Sambo who commiserated with the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), the government and good people of Imo State said “Mr. President and the Federal Government of Nigeria will never leave you alone, we will support you. As you are all aware this is a natural disaster and a new phenomenon in the whole world, we have never witnessed this type of disaster at least in our lifetime. We pray Almighty God that we will not continue to witness this type of unfortunate development again.”
He further told the victims that the Federal Government had put in place a special post flood programme to ensure their speedy rehabilitation so that they can return to their normal lives.
“Mr. President has established a committee in addition to what the Federal Government is doing, which is co- chaired by Alhaji Aliko Dangote and our renowned lawyer Olisa Agbakoba, that is organizing the world to also participate in addressing this unfortunate development, ” he stated.
The Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha in his remarks, while expressing the state government’s gratitude for the visit said that the N400 million Federal Government intervention fund will be judiciously used and given to the two affected local governments of Oguta and Ohaji/Egbema. He lamented that the floods had ravaged farmlands, houses and schools etc.
Representative of the IDPs Mr. Ogwagu Willy Uwakwe while speaking on behalf of victims appealed for assistance towards their rehabilitation. He also used the occasion to express their gratitude for the show of concern from governments and Nigerians.
According to the National Emergency Management Agency about 34 communities were affected with Oguta having 2060 registered IDPs and Ohaji/Egbema having 3100 registered IDPs.
Vice President Sambo who was earlier conducted on an aerial view of the flooded areas by Governor Okorocha, was accompanied to the event by the Minister of Environment, Hajiya Hadiza Mailafiya, Minister of State Works, Amb. Bashir Yuguda and Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe.
Others were the Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma Egba, Chairman Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma and the Director General of NEMA, Alhaji Sani Sidi and other top government officials.
