1,959 flood victims get N50,000 each

Akwa Ibom Government has provided financial assistance to 1,959 flood victims in Eket and Uyo, according to Mrs Sylvia Ekpo, Permanent Secretary, Deputy Governor’s Office.

Ekpo told newsmen on Wednesday, August 19, in Uyo that individuals not families benefited from the financial assistance.

She said that each of the 1,959 victims received N50,000.

"The beneficiaries are those who made official reports to our office.

"The day after the flood, I and my boss went to the spot to assess the situation.

"In Eket we captured 1,670 names, while in Uyo we had 289 victims,’’ she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), recalled that the flood was caused by torrential rainfall which occurred on June 29 that lasted for several hours.

Ekpo explained that victims, who reported their cases to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) were the people eligible to benefit from the largesse.

"The government decided that instead of giving the victims relief materials, we should give them financial assistance,’’ she said.

She said that officials of SEMA visited the affected areas to assess the situation before capturing the victims that qualified for the assistance.

She advised officials of local government councils in flood-prone areas in the state to report to the Office of the Deputy Governor for mitigation and provision of relief materials.