Over 894 flood victims in Enohia community, Afikpo local government area of Ebonyi State, have received relief materials and cash of N100million to cushion the effects of the flood.
Flood ravaged the community between July and August this year and claimed eight lives, with houses, crops and other property worth millions of naira destroyed.
The government disbursed the N100million cash and relief materials, including bags of rice, garri, mattresses and buckets.
In the disbursement, which started on Tuesday at the council headquarters, families that lost their loved ones received N1million each, while those whose crops were destroyed received N500,000 each. Other victims received N250,000 each.
Each of the victims also got 4 bags of rice, 2 bags of garria mattress and buckets.
Commissioner for Human Capital Development, Mrs. Ann Aligwe who supervised the distribution of the cash and relief materials, lauded Governor Francis Nwifuru for the gesture, describing him as welfarist Governor.
“Our dear Governor is a welfarist Governor. He has come to Ebonyi State to take care of the people through his People’s Charter of Needs manifesto.
This is why you are having these items and cash here.
“When we got information that the Enohia Itim community was affected by a flood disaster, which claimed lives and destroyed property, we quickly dispatched our officials to the community.
“After this assessment and evaluation, we went to His Excellency and discussed with him and as a humanitarian Governor, he said that he is the Governor of everybody, he is from Afikpo Local Government Area and his deputy is from Afikpo Local Government too.
“He immediately approved hundreds of millions and said we should procure relief materials, food items and also give cash to all the people affected by the flood in Enohia Itim”, she said.
Chairman of Afikpo Local Government Area, Chief Timothy Nwachi described Nwifuru administration as a responsive government.
He said flood has been happening in the local government without any compensation for the victims until Governor Francis Nwifuru became Governor and provided succour for the victims.
“The government is responding, not just responding but responding timely.
‘We sent a distress call to the appropriate authorities and in less than 32 days, we are receiving this response.
“So, that’s goes to say that the government we have as it stands now, is a government that responds to people’s needs and is a government that is responsive to the problems of those they are leading.
“So, I want to sincerely thank our dear Governor and all the agencies that are working under him and every other relevant agencies that made today a success”, Nwachi said.
Some of the victims, including Blessing Okoche, whose mother and her younger sister were swept away by the flood and Mrs. Favour Edwin who lost her 22-year-old son to the disaster, commended Governor Francis Nwifuru for the gesture.
They said the gesture will go a long way to ameliorate their sufferings as a result of the flood.
