The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has commenced the distribution of palliatives to flood victims spread across communities in eight local government areas of Rivers State.
Speaking during the presentation of the relief materials to the representatives of the flood victims in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State representative on the NDDC Board, Chief Tony Okocha, said the gesture would help the victims to recover from their losses.
Okocha said that each of the 24 trucks carrying the palliatives contained 47 different items, which were meant to cushion the effects of the flood on the victims, noting that the distribution of the materials was one of the contributions of the NDDC as a responsive intervention agency.
He said: “I stand on behalf of the Chairman of the board of the NDDC and the Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, who is in-charge of the day-to-day running of the affairs of the Commission, to say to you that it is our resolve that Rivers State and Niger Delta will have a new lease of life.
“We are there to defend and protect all projects in the Renewed Hope Agenda, the mantra on which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ascended the leadership of this country. President Tinubu has very serious concern about the welfare of Nigerians. Today is one of those demonstrations of the President’s responsiveness to the problems of Nigerians.”
He urged the local government chairmen to ensure impartial and judicious distribution of the relief materials to flood victims in Tai, Asari/Toru, Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Ogba/ Egbema/Ndoni, Abua/Odual, Akuku-Toru and Andoni Local Government Areas.
The Rivers State Representative emphasised the importance of prioritising the grassroots beneficiaries who have borne the brunt of the natural disaster, stressing that sentiments should play no role in the allocation process.
Addressing the beneficiaries, the Rivers State Director, Engr.
Theophilus Allagoa, observed that the delay in the delivery of relief materials to the 2023 flood victims was due to the change in the NDDC board and management.
He said that NDDC decided to start the distribution of the materials to the worst hit LGAs in Rivers, stating that the Commission had different items in the list to distribute, three trucks each to the impacted communities. He also urged the communities to report to NDDC, if the materials did not get to them.
Responding on behalf of the flood victims, Chairman of Ahoada-West local government area of the state, Hon. Hope Ikiriko, expressed gratitude to President Tinubu and the NDDC for the gesture.
