By Evelyn Omotoye
|
Ondo State Government has donated relief and empowerment materials to victims of floods, fire, rainstorms and other disasters in the affected local government areas of the state.
The state Deputy Governor, Mr. Agboola Ajayi while distributing the items to the beneficiaries, said the Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu-led administration in the state had always identified with the citizens in their times of distress.
Items distributed at the event include: sewing machines, grinding machines, water pumping machines, building materials, as well as food items among other relief materials.
According to the Deputy Governor, the latest donation was to cushion the immediate effects of the disaster on the victims in various areas they might have been affected.
Ajayi, who described the state government as caring and responsive to the plight of its people, applauded the federal government for its quick response in supporting the state in giving respite to the victims.
He stated that at the break of any such occurrence, the state would write to the federal government through the office of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, noting that they had always responded promptly.
The deputy governor therefore urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the empowerment materials provided them so as to bounce back and become self sustained, praying that they won’t witness such disasters again.
Earlier in his address, the representative of NEMA, Olusegun Afolayan, who commiserated with government and people of the state over the flood, windstorm and sea incursions that occurred in some parts of the state in 2018, informed the gathering that NEMA had earlier paid on-the-spot assessment of the scenes of the incidents to ascertain the level of damage with a view to knowing areas of pressing needs.
He assured of his agency’s willingness to sustain the collaboration with Ondo State Government to explore long term and more sustainable solution to both natural and human induced disasters.
The NEMA boss commended the commitment and efficiency of the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, and other disaster management responder on the discharge of their duties.
He however appealed to the state government to “fast track the establishment of a fully functional and funded SEMA backed by relevant legal provisions for more proactive emergency management in the state”.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Abigael Ogini thanked the State and Federal governments for the gesture, saying it would go a long way to redeem their losses.
