By Segun Giwa
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), on Thursday, handed over 292.4 metric tons of grains to Ondo State government for victims of various flood disasters in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the agency to start the distribution of the grains from strategic reserves to the affected states in the country.
Director-General of NEMA, Alhaji Mustapha Ahmed, at the handing over ceremony in Akure, said the president had approved the immediate release of 12,000 metric tons from the National Strategic Reserve Stock for distribution to all states and the FCT.
Ahmed, who was represented by the Director of Special Duties, Dr Onimode Bandele, said 2,100 bags of maize (50kg), 1,774 bags of sorghum (50 kg) and 3,948 bags of garri (25 kg) were brought to Ondo State to cushion the effect of the various flood disasters.
Also, the director-general said that the victims of flood disasters in the ongoing year, apart from the 125 kg of grains from the strategic reserve, would get another set of food and non-food items, which had also been delivered to the state.
Ahmed said that the result of the assessment of the people affected by the flood showed that 5,235 households were affected, with several houses being destroyed and farmlands submerged in the state.
He said that no government in the world could compensate individual losses from disaster occurrence, adding that the Federal Government, through NEMA, had the responsibilities of helping them get back and restarted their lives through relief interventions.
Ahmed listed those items to include:1,000 bags of rice, 1,000 bags of beans, 1,000 bags of maize, 75 bags of salt,75 kegs of vegetable oil, 150 cartons of seasoning cube and 75 cartons of tin tomatoes.
Others were; 7,350 pieces of nylon mats,1,000 pieces of treated mosquito nets,600 cartons of bath soap, 2,500 pieces of guinea brocade,1,000 pieces of children’s wear,1,000 pieces of women’s wear and 1,000 pieces of men’s wear.
Ahmed said that the relief interventions were a testimony that the federal government was always concerned about the welfare and wellbeing of the people of the state.
“May I also use this opportunity to appeal to His Excellency, Mr Governor, to further enhance and strengthen the capacities of Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs) in all the 18 local government areas of the state.
“This is to enable them implement and take disaster risk strategies to the grassroots, in line with global best practices, as the practice of waiting for disaster to occur before reacting is no longer in vogue all over the world,” he said.
The state Deputy Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, while receiving the items, said that NEMA had always shown itself as a strategic partner that was always alive to its responsibilities.
Aiyedatiwa, represented by a Permanent Secretary, Mr Idowu Ojo, assured that the materials would be given to those they were meant for.
Also speaking, the Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr Femi Obideyi, appreciated the federal government’s gesture and promised that the items would be delivered accordingly. (NAN)
