Flood: Okowa Calls On Buhari To Support Victims

BY: Mohammed Taoheed, ASABA

The Vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has on Wednesday called on the Federal Government, corporate organisations and individuals among others to come to the aid of victims of flood in the state.

Okowa gave this call during his sympathy visit to flood victims at Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps at Utagba-Ogbe Technical College, Kwale in Ndokwa West; Alaka Grammar School, Ozoro in Isoko North; St. Michael’s College, Oleh and Isoko Central School, Oleh both in Isoko South Local Government Areas of the state, assuring that his leadership would continue to support them until they were able to return to their homes after the flood crisis.

Bemoaning that the state government may not be able to estimate the extent of destruction, he decried that the flood was obviously very massive.

According to him: “This is the seventh camp we have visited since yesterday – three yesterday and four today and we have four other established camps. Beyond that, there are so many community camps that are being managed in the communities.

“It is a very extensive flood with a lot of displacement of people and I must thank all the various persons that have come here in the camp to stay.

“In all the camps we have visited they are actually bonding together as a family and when the state government and other willing donors are providing food materials, the women themselves are cooking and they are all living happily together.

He said: “I am also very glad that the children have started school here and at the other camps we had visited.

“We have doctors and nurses attending to the health needs of the people here and I have been told that they have recorded three deliveries here and that there are over twenty pregnant women.”

Similarly, the Sheriff/Onyeme team, also reached out to more flood victims with bags of rice, beans, cartons of Indomie, salt, toiletries, tubers of yams, Garri and other items to the IDPs in continuation of its efforts to cushion the effect of the flood ravaging some communities in the State.

Track News Nigeria learnt that those who got succour from the Sheriff /Onyeme Team on Wednesday were Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs camps at Mariere Primary School, Evwreni, in Ughelli North and St Vincent College, Okwagbe in Ughelli South.

Speaking with Track News Nigeria, the Coordinator of Sheriff/Onyeme Campaign Team and chairman of Okpe Local Government Area, Hon Isaiah Isiovwa, told the victims that Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly and People’s Democratic Party Governorship candidate for the 2023 election is sensitive to their plight and decided to assist them with the relief materials.

In his words, Oborevwori was very much concerned about the devastation caused by the flood which he described as a natural disaster, hence he decided to support and assist them with the relief materials.

He stated that Oborevwori was very much concerned about the devastation caused by the flood which he described as a natural disaster, hence he decided to support and assist them with the relief materials.

His words: “He said he cannot leave you people like that without showing love and support to you people. This is why he said we should bring all these relief materials to assist and support all of you here. He has asked that you people should accept these items that he has brought to you just to support you. He said that by the special grace of God we shall all come out of this and you people will go back to your various homes at the end of the day,” he said.

The Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon Samuel Mariere, who received the items on behalf of the IDPs, commended the Sheriff /Onyeme Team for the items, saying he did not forget them in their time of need.

The Commissioner expressed worries about acute food shortages in the next few months as a result of the flood and called on relevant stakeholders to rise up to the occasion by helping the flood victims.

“The truth of the matter is that the problem is not just here, because as I am speaking to you, there are a lot of people in these camps who are in their farms trying to salvage their cassava because all their farms are submerged. The implication of this is that in the next three to four months, there will be serious food shortages. So we must be prepared to face the reality of the time. By the time the food they have gathered this period is finished, we must also be prepared to cater for them”, he stated.

“He said he cannot leave you people like that without showing love and support to you people. This is why he said we should bring all these relief materials to assist and support all of you here. He has asked that you people should accept these items that he has brought to you just to support you. He said that by the special grace of God we shall all come out of this and you people will go back to your various homes at the end of the day,” he said.

The Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon Samuel Mariere, who received the items on behalf of the IDPs, commended the Sheriff /Onyeme Team for the items, saying he did not forget them in their time of need.

The Commissioner expressed worries about acute food shortages in the next few months as a result of the flood and called on relevant stakeholders to rise up to the occasion by helping the flood victims.

“The truth of the matter is that the problem is not just here, because as I am speaking to you, there are a lot of people in these camps who are in their farms trying to salvage their cassava because all their farms are submerged. The implication of this is that in the next three to four months, there will be serious food shortages. So we must be prepared to face the reality of the time. By the time the food they have gathered this period is finished, we must also be prepared to cater for them”, he stated.