Kogi Government donates relief materials to Ajaokuta flood victims

The Kogi Government on Tuesday donated foodstuffs and other relief materials to flood victims in Ajaokuta Local Government Area of the state.

Speaking to newsmen at the distribution centre in Ajaokuta, Mr Sanusi Yahaya, the state Coordinator, Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), said that the items were meant to alleviate the suffering of the flood victims.

Represented by Mrs Dorcas Enehe, the Director, Climate Change in the ministry, Yahaya said that the items would be distributed to the flood victims in all the affected local governments across the state.

Yahaya, who doubles as the state Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, reiterated the commitment of the Gov. Yahaya Bello’ Administration to meeting the needs of internally displaced persons and victims of the 2018 flood disaster in Kogi.

“We were in Bassa LGA last week to distribute items to victims under Bassa Nge District in Shintaku, and today, we are here in Ajaokuta to do same for Geregu, Native Town and Niger Bridge zones.

“We have many communities under each of the three zones with their representatives present at each zone to take delivery of those items on their behalf.”

He noted that donor agencies such as WHO, Unilever, Red Cross, ActionAid, and religious-based organisations had also donated relief items directly to flood victims in the state.

He added that the Federal Government, through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), had also donated brought relief materials to be distributed as soon as the logistics for distribution was put in place.

The commissioner advised the victims to remain calm, receive the items in good faith and share them accordingly without victimising one another.

Mrs Jummai Mokobia, the Director, Administration and Finance, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), said that the agency had earlier visited the affected riverine communities for needs assessment and to document the details of the victims.

“Some communities were totally submerged while some were partially affected, but we were able to carry out rescue operations by moving the victims to high land,” she said.

One of the beneficiaries, Blessing Umar, from Oglo community, expressed gratitude to the state government for the gesture.

Mohammed Tijani from Ajaokuta Native town, thanked the state government for the initiative, and urged well-meaning Nigerians and organisations to come to their aid.

Items donated to the victims included bags of rice, beans, flour, Guinea corn, maize, cartons of tomatoes, cartons of milk, milo, salt, semovita, soaps and detergent, matresses and mats, among others.