-From Etene Prosper:
As part of the Delta State Government’s effort towards alleviating the suffering of the people of flood revaged communities in the state, the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) yesterday at the Urhobo House, Uvwiamuge-Agbarho distributed various food items and relief materials to all affected communities in the Urhobo Ethnic Nationalities in the Central and South of the State.
The Managing Director/CEO of DESOPADEC, Bashorun Askia Ogieh while monitoring the distribution exercise expressed Governor Ifeanyi A. Okowa’s commitment to deploy various strategies towards addressing the short term and long term needs of all affected communities in the state.
He hinted that the Governor gave a matching order to DESOPADEC and all Political appointees in the state to relocate to their various communities to support the evacuation and welfare of all internally displaced persons.
He stated that on the instruction of the Governor, DESOPADEC has commenced the manual and mechanical desiltation of concrete drains and WaterWays across the state, provide relief materials to all impacted Nationality, set up IDP holding camps at Oleh, Kwale, Evweni and Okwagbe to complement the various camps set up by the state government across the state, adding that the camps are equipped with clinics and Laboratory with standby ambulance.
The Executive Director, Finance and Administration of DESOPADEC, Olorogun Barr. John Nani while handing over the items to the UPU for onward distributions to the representatives of the impacted communities, stated that the items are specifically for flood victims who could not move from their communities to the various holding camps noting that there are adequate arrangement to take care of everyone camped at the DESOPADEC holding facilities at Oleh, Ashaka, Evwreni and Okwagbe.
He urged the representatives of the communities particularly the President General and Councillors to ensure that the items gets to the actual beneficiaries warning that any negative report about any community leader by the joint monitoring committee of DESOPADEC and the UPU will face the consequences.
The items distributed to the affected communities around Ughelli North, Ughelli South and Urhobos in Patani LGAs were bags of garri, bags of rice, bags of onions, bags of beans, noodles, vegetable oil, Palm oil, tubers of Yam and toiletries like meditated soap and disinfectant which constitute the people’s basic needs at the moment. Continuing, he said these items were meant to ameliorate the effects of the sufferings in dire needs, noting that more supplies are still on the way.
Receiving the items on behalf of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), the 1st Deputy President General, Chief Anthony Onoharigho commended the friendly and humane nature that Excellency, Senator Dr. Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa has demonstrated by the timely intervention and bringing palliatives to the victims of the flood disaster. He also used the opportunity to thank the Government and DESOPADEC for the assistance being provided to the UPU, by developing the UPU Cultural Centre, which is the symbol of Urhobo Unity.
