The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has distributed relief materials to households in Ogui Eke community in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State following the destruction caused by flood, erosion and windstorm earlier in the year.
The exercise, carried out on Friday by the NEMA Enugu Operations Office in collaboration with the Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (ENSEMA), was aimed at cushioning the suffering of residents whose property and farmlands were devastated.
Speaking at the flag off, the Head of NEMA Enugu Operations Office, Mrs Ngozi Echeazu, who represented the Director General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, said the intervention was a demonstration of the federal government’s concern for the plight of victims.
She said, “The approved relief items are to cushion the effect of the sufferings of the affected population and not a replacement of their loss. We sympathise with you over this unfortunate incident. We also urge the community to always clear their waterways and ensure that houses are not constructed on water channels.”
The relief materials distributed included bags of rice, garri, spaghetti, vegetable oil, seasoning cubes, tomato paste and iodised salt.
The Ogui Eke community chairman, Ichie Nwanamahi Kennedy, thanked the Federal Government for the intervention, describing it as timely. He pledged that the community would work with the Udi Local Government Urban Planning Department to prevent recurrence.
“We will embark on drainage desilting and ensure that buildings are not constructed on waterways. Those already constructed will be demolished,” he assured.
Beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the Federal Government and NEMA for what they described as fair and equitable distribution of the items.
The direct distribution of the materials to recipients was one of the major highlights of the event.
