The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), together with the Ebonyi State government, provided relief materials to victims of the 2022 flood and fire disasters in all 13 local government areas of the state.
The distributed items comprised bags of rice, beans, garri, mosquito nets, mats, and wrappers. The decision to directly distribute the materials was taken to ensure assistance reaches the grassroots victims, as stated by Mrs Ngozi Echeazu, the South East zonal coordinator of NEMA, during the event.
“We are collaborating with the state government to enable us to reach the grassroots people. We are embarking on direct distribution because we believe that by doing so, the distribution will not be hijacked but will reach the real victims.”
The agency is working alongside the state government to sensitize residents in flood-prone areas about the importance of relocating to prevent future disasters.
Mrs Uzoamaka Nwifuru, the governor’s wife, mentioned that the distribution would be conducted in phases and would also include people with disabilities. She encouraged the beneficiaries to be cautious of potential disasters in their surroundings and assured them of continuous support from the state government for the less privileged and disaster victims.
During the distribution event, there was some commotion as Government House security personnel and residents from Abakaliki took away the relief materials.
The incident occurred while the distribution was ongoing, and some victims who were unable to receive the materials accused the security agencies of involvement in the looting. Mrs Ngozi Ogodo expressed disappointment over the situation and called for an investigation into the alleged misconduct.
“Unfortunately, many of us couldn’t get the materials. We had to go back to our local government area without the materials we came for. None of the victims of flood or fire disasters could get the materials”.
