By Victor Ogunje
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has distributed relief materials to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ekiti State, saying this shows the respect the federal government places on the comfort of the citizens.
This was as the Ekiti State Government promised not to relent in its efforts in giving assistance to disaster victims and vulnerable people for them to live their normal lives.
Distributing the materials in Ado Ekiti Thursday, the Deputy Governor, Chief
Bisi Egbeyemi, said the state government will always collaborate with government agencies, corporate organisations and donor agencies to give succour to vulnerable people to relieve them of their burdens.
Some of the relief materials handed out to the beneficiaries included tricycles, motorcycles, grinding machines, hair dryers, and sewing machines, among others.
While commending NIMASA for the gesture, Egbeyemi described the action as an example of corporate social responsibility which should be emulated by corporate organisations and well meaning individuals.
Egbeyemi appreciated the federal government, donors agencies, corporate organizations and individuals who had contributed towards the development of the state and assistance to victims of natural and man-made disasters.
He called for more relief materials in order to capture victims of the 2020 natural disasters who were yet to benefit from the government support programme.
Egbeyemi said: “These relief materials were donated to improve the livelihoods of internally displaced persons in the state and to help beneficiaries become self-sufficient.
“At this juncture, I must say that it has always been the state government’s interest to assist vulnerable people in the state to reclaim their normal lives and achieve self sufficiency without becoming a burden.
“This is evident in her efforts at various angles through programmes to give a better life to her citizenry. In the light of this, I would like to implore all the beneficiaries to make good use of the items distributed.”
The Chairman of Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Capt. Sunday Adebomi (rtd), explained that the materials distributed were part of the social responsibility on the part of the agency and Governor Kayode Fayemi’s passion to alleviate poverty and create wealth.
The SEMA boss pointed out that over 4,000 people had enjoyed relief materials, out of over 5,000 victims of different disasters recorded in the state in year 2020.
Adebomi said that the victims of this year’s disasters would be captured as soon as the government procures more relief materials and urged them to be patient.
The 55 beneficiaries of the empowerment tools were selected from the 16 local government areas (LGAs) and 19 local council development areas (LCDAs) in the state.
