The Federal Government has begun distributing presidential palliatives to flood victims in Akwa Ibom State in 2022 through the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
On Monday in Uyo, the state capital, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana Umana, handed over relief supplies to the National Emergency Management Agency for distribution to the victims. She expressed concern that the Niger Delta region had been more severely affected by the flood because of its topography and location.
Dr. Emem Wills, a representative of Akwa Ibom State on the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, spoke on behalf of Umana, who noted that while the supplies cannot completely make up for the losses brought on by the flood, they will help to lessen the burden faced by the people.
He said that the gesture was not just a physical distribution of the materials but also the compassion and empathy of the government towards the affected people.
“We are aware that no amount of relief provided by the government can replace the losses as a result of the flood. However, it is our candid belief that the relief items will help alleviate the burden currently faced by our people. This gesture is not just a physical distribution of materials, rather it represents the compassion and empathy of the government towards its people,” the minister said.
He revealed that the National Emergency Management Agency had already identified the communities that had been severely impacted by the flood through the Needs Assessment that had been carried out following the flood, and he added that the communities that had been identified had been added to the list of those who would receive aid.
The commodities will only be handed to people who were actually harmed by the flood of 2022, Alh. Ahmed Habib, the Director-General of NEMA, assured following the handover ceremony while thanking the federal government for the gift.
The DG, who was represented by Demien Egwu, bemoaned the fact that water-related activities from the North down to the South have converged in the Niger Delta.
“The Niger Delta is always exposed to flooding and other attendant effects of flooding because it is the collection centre of all water-related activities from the North down to the South and anytime this happens, there is a need for a recovery process.
He thanked the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for his magnanimity and support of the people of the Niger Delta.
“I want to assure the minister that these items will be distributed to those who were truly affected by the 2022 flood. We will do this in conjunction with the Akwa Ibom State Management Agency and other relevant stakeholders,” the DG said.
The materials approved for distribution include mattresses, pillows, blankets, cartons of noodles, bags of rice and beans, grinding machines, cement, roofing sheets, ceiling boards, and others.
