The Federal Government has given succour to this year’s flood victims in Ogbaru federal constituency of Anambra State as the National Emergency Management Agency has distributed relief materials to them.
The materials were facilitated by the member representing Ogbaru federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Afam Ogene.
Speaking during the distribution of the materials held at Iyiowa-Odekpe in Ogbaru on Saturday, the Head of Operations in charge of the Enugu Zonal Office of NEMA, Pricilia Madukwe, said the Federal Government released the items to the flood victims following a distress report about the disaster by the member representing Ogbaru federal constituency in the House of Representatives, wherein he appealed to the government to come to their assistance.
Madukwe performed the symbolic distribution alongside an official of the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency and the Coordinator of the state Emergency Management Committee, Nnamdi Esimai.
During the presentation of the items, she explained further that following Ogene’s distress report, she led a team of other officials of her agency and visited the affected flood-devastated communities.
According to her, based on the agency’s findings and report, the Federal Government directed that the relief items be brought to them.
She said, “The Federal Government released these items to the flood victims following a distress report about the disaster by the member representing Ogbaru federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Afam Ogene, wherein he appealed to the government to come to their assistance.
“Ogene loves you, people. He paid for bringing these relief materials from Enugu State to this place. NEMA did not pay for it. So, you should always support him because he is trying for you.”
Addressing the beneficiaries, the member representing Ogbaru federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Afam Ogene, directed that the relief items should be handed over to the leaders of the communities for proper distribution.
He said, “These relief items are for everybody in the community. It is not going to be shared on a political party basis. This is not about politics. So, when you get to your communities, make sure that they are well distributed.
“Use the formula you use in sharing things amongst yourself and share whatever is given to your community.”
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke in separate interviews commended the Federal Government and the lawmaker for coming to their help.
A nursing mother, who identified herself as Nwakonobi Favour, narrated that her house was submerged during the flood disaster and all her household items were destroyed.
A physically challenged person, Oliver Ozoma, said in addition that his house was submerged in the flood water, his farm was also flooded and he lost all his farm crops, including yams, cassava, potatoes, among others.
Favour Ozoma and several other people from the benefiting communities, including Oliver Inuchukwu and Uchechukwu Igwe from Ogwuikpele community, hailed Ogene for what they described as his “compassionate spirit” and the good representation he has given the people of the constituency in the National Assembly.
Oliver Inuchukwu said, “This is not the first time Afam Ogene is bringing NEMA people to bring relief items to us since he went to the National Assembly.
He has done it before. So this is the second time.
“We are praying God to bless him for us. We are going to make sure that he will go back to the House of Representatives in 2027.”
The items include 400 bags of 25kg rice, 400 bags of 25kg beans, 200 cartons of spaghetti, 50 cartons of vegetable oil, and 50 cartons of Maggi cubes.
The communities the items were brought to in the Ogbaru federal constituency were Ossamala, Obeagwe, Akili-Ogidi, Ogwuikpele, Ogwuanocha and Umunankwo.
