Disaster: Ekiti Govt Spends N105millon On Relief Packages
•By Our Reporter
EKITI – The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, has disclosed that the state government, has expended an aggregate of N105 million to empower victims of fire disaster in the state in the last one year.
Mrs Afuye said this in Ado Ekiti, on Thursday, while distributing food materials and other consumables to 757 victims of rainstorm in Ijelu, Omu and Itapaji Ekiti, in Oye Local Government Area of the State.
The Deputy Governor, in a statement signed by her Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje, stressed that the materials were provided by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in partnership with the Ekiti State Government to cushion the effect of emergency on the victims.
Materials distributed include: maize, gari, knapsack sprayer, groundnut oil, clothing materials, rice and other consumables that can palliate the sufferings of the victims.
Addressing the victims, Mrs Afuye said: “It is worthy of note that recently, a sum of N35.5m was distributed to victims of fire disaster, while a total of N58.113m was used for transportation of grains and garri, which were distributed to citizens through the Local Governments and faith based groups irrespective of party affiliations.
“There are other approvals such as a sum of N12m for fire victims. Another sum of N47m is in the pipeline being processed for victims of rainstorm. On our part, we are committed to fulfilling our promises to the people in line with our policy thrust”.
Mrs Afuye assured the residents that every food palliative consignment released to the state by federal government will be fairly and equitably distributed to the populace without discrimination.
She stated that Governor Biodun Oyebanji, has been making frantic and copious actions to tame incidences of flooding in Ekiti through aggressive dredging of canals and waterways.
The Deputy Governor urged the residents to always take precautionary measures that could forestall rainstorm through turn around maintenance on their residences and eschew actions that could block waterways that can result in flooding.
“Anytime there is a long rain in Ekiti at night, your governor don’t normally sleep. He will be making calls and inquiring whether there was any rainstorm or flooding anywhere.
“Implead with you, when rain is falling, don’t pile your refuse inside canals or build on waterways. We know natural disaster can be difficult to prevent, but some of them are man made and we have to avoid them. Officials of SEMA will soon go out to do enlightenment for you on how to prevent disasters”.
The Director General, NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, sympathised with the affected communities, charging the local governments to be more proactive in sensitising the residents on Disaster Risk Reduction Policy of government that could avert reoccurrence of this sordid scenario.
The DG, who spoke through Ekiti NEMA’s Head of Operations, Mrs Kofoworola Soleye, urged the residents to key into the existing insurance policy for disaster management that could serve as indemnity if their property is damaged.
The General Manager, Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Oludare Asaolu, said the palliatives given were to assuage the feelings of the victims, saying the government will soon unveil better and pragmatic actions to bail them out of their current situations.
The General manager asserted that the distribution further testified to the fact that Governor Oyebanji is running a populist government that has sympathy and passion for the poor citizens.
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