The National Emergency Management Agency on Saturday distributed five truckloads of relief materials to flood victims in the Internally Displaced Persons’ camps in Mbiama, Akinima, Akiniso and Abuoha in Rivers State.
Items distributed included bags of rice, beans, garri, salt and detergents as well as children and adult wear, mattresses, blankets, mosquito nets and drugs
Others items distributed were cartons of beverages, seasoning cubes, bathing soap, tinned tomatoes and milk as well as bottles of palm oil.
There were torrents of criticism against the agency after its obvious abandonment of flood victims in the state. This also led to the House of Reps during plenary, to order the agency to send relief materials to Rivers State.
Recall that theportcitynews reported that the agency donated only canopies to some IDPs.
Mr Yakubu Suleiman, the Head of Emergency Operations Centre of NEMA in Bayelsa and Rivers States distributed the items to the victims in the four IDP camps.
Suleiman said that the relief items would also be extended to the victims accommodated by their friends and relations.
He said that the agency had done a rapid post-flood assessment to ensure that the victims’ means of livelihood would be restored after the flood
“The Vice President was here to commiserate with the victims.
“He gave the assurance that that shores in the state would be protected, dams built and the rivers dredged so that the communities will be protected.
“We know that the communities’ boreholes and wells have been affected; we assure them that they will be reactivated.
“Those that lost their farmlands will be given attention through the rapid post-flood assessment,’’ he said.
He called on governments of states affected by the flood to buy and preserve food items such as garri from the farmers who now sold them cheap because of the effect of the flood.
Mr Suleiman also called for the establishment of Rivers State Emergency Management Agency.
Suleiman explained that the setting up of NEMA in the state had become necessary in order to eradicate bureaucracy in the handling of emergencies.
He pointed out that the distribution of relief items to flood victims would be less tedious if SEMA were to be present in Rivers, even as he praised the state government for being supportive.
“I am working directly with the commissioner for special duties, who has the responsibility to oversee emergencies in Rivers State; and has been very supportive. But it cannot be as sweet as SEMA. SEMA has the mandate of NEMA at the state level and the philosophy behind the establishment of SEMA is to eradicate bureaucracy in an emergency.
“For NEMA, we are under the Vice-President and we get rapt attention. So, you cannot operate an emergency with bureaucracy at the state level; it will not work. So, there is the need to establish SEMA in Rivers State to be more effective and efficient,” Suleiman said.
