From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
National Inland Waterways (NIWA) has sent relief materials worth millions of naira to Anambra State flood victims of 2022.
The relief package comprised 200 bags of rice; 200 bags of beans; 200 cartons of 70kg noodles; 200 5-liter groundnut oil and N5million.
The presentation was made at the warehouse of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), in Anambra.
While handing over the relief materials to SEMA, Mr Dangana Muhammed (Special Duties) who represented the Managing Director of NIWA, Chief George Moghalu said it was part of NIWA’s corporate social responsibility agenda to support flood victims in the country.
He said that the agency donated the food items and the N5million to support effective logistics and distribution of those relief materials. He appreciated, according to him, the fact that the relief materials were kept safe.
He also advocated and pleaded that the materials would be distributed to the affected flood victims.
“Nine States of Anambra; Delta; Rivers and Baylsa in the South South and Kogi; Niger; Benue; Taraba and Jalingo in the North are the beneficiaries of the 2022 relief materials for flood victims, ” Muhammed said.
Responding, the Executive Secretary of SEMA in Anambra, Chief Paul Odenigbo on behalf of the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Soludo expressed gratitude to NIWA and the federal government for the relief materials including the cash component.
” I want to assure you that immediately after this formal handover, we will commence distribution of these materials. The beneficiaries are the flood victims of 2022 in Anambra and we had 567 of them.
“We thank NIWA for being part of this. Before now, we have been receiving donations from across the world. We are still calling for help from public-spirited individuals and organizations to continue to help the flood victims. The 2023 flood has started and we have not even gone to that.
” We have always told those living at areas prone to flood disaster to be alert and we evacuate them in times of emergency, ” he said.
Other NIWA officials at the brief ceremony were the Ag Area Manager, Onitsha area office, Engr Tolufashe Bamidele and the Ports Manager, Mr Martins Osozua.
