Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State on Tuesday called for relief materials from the Federal Government, organised private sector and well meaning individuals to assist the victims of ravaging flood across the state.
Okowa made the call when he visited the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Patani Local Government Area to personally ascertain how the people were faring.
He said adequate manpower have been deployed to the camps, noting that welfare package for the victims is unpredictably on the increase as people sacked by the surging flood from their homes continue to seek refuge.
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“We have been to several camps and you can see that members of the flood committee are working round the clock. In this camp, we have more than 1,500 people and there are several camps set up in this area because, out of the 16 communities, 11 are under water which is a sad situation.
“Every other town that I have visited, the camps are in one school or the other but the schools in this area have been submerged. The water may take time to recede, I just hope the Federal Government will urgently intervene to complement what we are doing as a state.
“I must thank all Deltans who are touched and have donated one relief material or the other to assist the victims of the flood and I call on the organised private sector and individuals to please, if you have an extra, come to the aide of these victims,” he appealed.
The governor commended the people of Patani for their cooperation and unity of purpose in ensuring that despite the fact that their communities have been submerged, they were assisting in constructing temporal structures at the camps while their prominent sons and daughters were also, coming to their aides.
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“I am impressed with the level of organisation here, it is neat and despite the sad development, the people are facing the reality of the fact that they may not get to their communities for some time.
“Certainly, we will continue to do our best for them to be comfortable, the medical team is okay and with the registration of individual families, we shall work out how best to get them resettled when the flood water recedes, this is a time we should be our brother’s keepers,” he said.
Commissioner in charge of Bureau for Special Duties, Barr. Ernest Ogwezzy who took Okowa round the camp explained that the population of people in different camps are on the increase as the flood continues to submerge communities.