By NewsBits
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), on Tuesday commenced the distribution of relief materials households affected by the 2022 flood disaster in Enugu State.
The Director-General of the agency, Mr Mustapha Ahmed, said during the distribution in Enugu that the gesture was under the Special National Economic and Livelihood Emergency Intervention (SNELEI).
Ahmed, who was represented by the Enugu State team supervisor of SNELEI, Mr Ladan Ayuba, said that the distribution was to improve the socio-economic conditions of the affected households in the state.
He said that the total number of the households was on two phases, adding that phase one was 5,924 and phase two was 4,116 totalling 10,040 households across the state.
He identified the items as livelihood equipment which include sewing machines and grinding machines while the food items include rice, beans, garri, sorghum, vegetable oil, salt, tomato paste sachets and seasoning cubes.
According to him, the non-food items are mosquito nets, nylon mats, blankets, form mattresses, set of cooking pots, cooking stove, toilet soaps and detergents. The agricultural inputs were also distributed which include, water pumps 3HP, growth enhancers, liquid fertilizers, pesticide, herbicide, yam seeds, rice seeds and maize seeds.
He explained that the agricultural inputs were given to take farmers back to their farmland, to stimulate crop production, and safeguard national food security in the middle of economic downturn.
The DG added that the livelihood support was to help artisans improve their businesses and grow the economy. He noted that NEMA staff were deployed to conduct the verification of the target beneficiaries in collaboration with personnel from SEMAs, State Agricultural Development Project and other relevant stakeholders.
He said a total of 660,884 Households were verified and targeted to benefit from this special intervention across the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He urged the beneficiaries to make proper use of the items to improve their socio-economic conditions. “Beneficiaries are advised to avoid selling the items and destroy the good intention of the Federal Government,” he said.
Ahmed thanked the President Bola Tinubu and the Vice President Kashim Shetima for all the support given toward the implementation of the intervention. He commended the Enugu government for providing all the necessary support to accomplish this very important and timely intervention.
Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, lauded NEMA for its support to the state.
Mbah, while commending NEMA for its relentless desire and commitment to cushioning the effects of hardship orchestrated by natural or human induced disasters, assured that the materials will be judiciously shared among the victims.
“We want to extend our gratitude to DG, NEMA for always partnering with the state in times of emergency. It is important that we acknowledge that the president, Mr Bola Tinubu has made commitment to continue to support the states that are going through flood related matter through NEMA,” he said.
Some beneficiaries expressed their joy for the items they received. Mr Julius Eke of Enugu East Local Government Area, who got food items, thanked the government for bringing smile to him and his family.
Mrs Akuabata Mbah, another beneficiary, said she was happy over the distribution, thanked the Federal Government for its intervention.
