From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Imo State government at the weekend provided succour to its victims ravaged by flood as displaced families were temporarily moved to a new settlement with palliatives disbursed to the most vulnerable ones.
Governor Hope Uzodinma who was represented by his deputy, Prof Placid Njoku, who led some government officials to the affected areas in Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta also fed over thirty of the communities affected.
Njoku, who assisted in disbursing the relief materials to the victims, assured that the state government would sustain the feeding programme once each day until the flood is abated. While assuring the continued assistance of the state government, he added: “We are here to assure you that we would stand with you in whichever challenge you face, you must not walk alone and that is why we have brought you these four hundred bags of rice, vegetable oil, foams, stoves, pillows, blankets and many other items to assist you.
“We have provided accommodation to those who do not have places to stay, we would serve you hot meals each day until the flood situation subsides, we’re happy with the effort of our governor for the approval of the dredging of Orashi river, it will go a long way to solve most of the problems.
Earlier, while addressing the victims, the Managing Director of the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC) Charles Orie who noted that the disaster is not peculiar to the State, assured the displaced victims that they are making frantic efforts to ensure they return to their homes in no distant time.
While the minister of States for Education, Goodluck Opiah, whose village was also affected in his speech regretted that the oil companies in their communities were only interested in their oil but pay less attention to their plight.
According to him, “We thank God no life was lost, the coming of the governor will bring succour to us, we know there would be hunger in the coming weeks that is why we need the assistance if the state government, sadly the oil companies we have here are only interested in our oil and not our situation,” Opiah said.