Three hundred victims of natural disasters in Ekiti State, including a traditional ruler, have been given relief materials worth millions of naira by the federal government.
The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who at the weekend flagged off the distribution on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, also assured the people of the state of more goodies from the federal government.
Relief materials distributed included bags of rice, millet, cement, corrugated iron sheets, nails, blankets, mats, clothings, asbestos, underwears, toiletries and detergents.
Fayemi, who expressed Buhari’s concern about the plight of victims of natural disasters like rainstorm and flood, disclosed that the President was concerned about the effects of the disasters on the people of the state, which he said informed the President’s directive to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to send the relief materials for distribution to the state.
At the ceremony were the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Engr. Mustapha Yinusa Maihaja; Ekiti State governor Ayo Fayose, who was represented by his Special Assistant on Emergency Matters, Mr. Akinwale Rasheed and the General Manager of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr. Femi Osasona.
Those who benefited from the gesture included the Alayegunle of Ayegunle-Ekiti in Ijero Local Government, Oba Johnson Folorunso Aderiye, whose palace roof was recently blown off by rainstorm. The monarch was represented by Chief J.S. Oludola.
The minister explained that Buhari was ready to assist all Nigerians, irrespective of their political affiliation, religion, ethnic background, culture and language.
He said the state had received lots of assistance from the Buhari administration since coming to power in May, 2015, including two tranches of bailout funds, Budget Support Fund for 13 months, Paris
Club refund and N2 billion worth of ecological funds.
Fayemi said, “What NEMA is doing here today is not the first time the federal government under President Buhari is coming to the rescue of
our people. The President believes that he is the president of all Nigerians and that is why the states that had benefited most from his government are opposition states because it is Nigerians that are living and working there.”
The NEMA Director-General, G Maihaja, noted that Ekiti was one of the states that first experienced rainstorm around February, which he said was witnessed in about 27 other states.
Maihaja said climate change caused many natural disasters to victims across the country, noting that natural disasters and floods can overstretch federal and state governments.
