ENUGU STATE GOVT. SYMPATHISES WITH VICTIMS OF RAINSTORM IN NKANU EAST

The Enugu State Government, on Friday, (April 27) distributed relief materials to more than 250 households that were affected by rainstorm in Ugbawka, Nkanu East Local Government Area.

The Monday rainstorm, which displaced most residents of the area, destroyed property worth N500 million in five communities of Ugbawka.

Some of the relief items distributed to the victims included: bags of rice, Garri, beans, confectionaries, vegetable oil, foams, roofing sheets and cement.

The Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mrs Nkechi Eneh, while delivering the items, said described the gesture as a show of empathy by the government.

Eneh said that the agency received a distress call on the incident, immediately inspected the affected areas and the level of damage.

She added that it was gratifying that no life was lost in the process.

“The rainstorm affected several communities across the state and the Governor demanded immediate response in order to cushion the effects of the incident.

“Our happiness is that no life was lost in the process,” she said.

The executive secretary warned that the materials were not for sale, adding that a good measure of transparency should be employed in the distribution to the affected persons.

“This is a demonstration of love by the government in order to provide succour to victims of the rainstorm because nothing can equate the loss,” Eneh said.

Earlier, the Chairman of Nkanu East Local Government Area, Mr Ikechukwu Ubagu, said that such magnitude of disaster had never occurred in the area.

Ubagu said that two persons were hospitalised after the incident but that they were responding to treatment.

He also gave the name of the affected communities.

They were Amafor, Isigwe, Ovorie, Akpa and Imeama.

“The state government has done its part by sending these relief materials, it is now left for our council to do its part to complement what the state government has done,” he said.

Ubagu said that they would replant all economic trees that were destroyed by the rainstorm.

Also, one of the victims, Mr. Fidelis Edeh, said that the rainstorm, which destroyed his farm also blew off the roof of his ancestral house.

“I lost over five million naira to the rainstorm but I discovered more pathetic scenes, as many buildings were pulled down in the communities.

The roofs of several buildings including public utilities were blown off.

“It is difficult to quantify the loss but I know it will amount to more than N500 million.

However, we are inspired by the intervention of the Governor,’’ Edeh said.

Chukwuma Ezeogu