…donates relief materials
Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly and People’s Democratic Party Governorship candidate for the 2023 election, on Saturday visited some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Isoko South and Isoko North Local Government Area of the state.
The move, according to the speaker, was part of measures towards assuaging the effects of the ravaging flood on the IDPs in Oleh and Ozoro IDP camps.
At the Isoko South IDP Camp located at Isoko Central School, Oleh, where about 1,015 persons are housed so far, the speaker donated tubers of yam, bags of rice, bags of garri, bags of beans and other items to IDPs.
The speaker also visited the Isoko North Local Government IDP Camp at Alaka Grammer School, Ozoro, where he also donated relief materials to the IDPs in the camps.
Rt Hon Oborevwori who is the National Deputy Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of state legislatures of Nigeria also visited the Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro, that has been closed down for the past two weeks as a result of the flood that has ravaged part of the University.
“I have visited the ICS and Alaka camps and I am here at the University to ascertain the level of damage done by the flood.
“We understand that the University had been closed for two weeks now and we pray that the flood will receed soonest. There is nothing man can do because it’s a natural disaster,” Rt.Hon Oborevwori said.
The Speaker advised those whose areas have been affected by the flood in the state, to relocate to higher ground, stressing that, “this is a natural disaster and they have no choice than to relocate to higher ground. This thing has happened in 2012.”
“What we have to do as stakeholders and leaders is to appeal to them and let them know that they need to leave those areas that are affected by the flood.
“Nobody knows when the waters will begin to receed. You may just be sleeping and one day you find out that everywhere is flooded. So it’s our appeal that they should relocate because this is a natural disaster.
“The IDP camps are good places for them to relocate to because there they will be well taken care of by the government.
“I also want to advise the IDPs to manage themselves very well and be orderly,” he added.
Mrs Elizabeth Chukura, Director, Relief, Rescue and Rehabilitation, SERMA, and Camp a commandant, Isoko South IDP Camp, Oleh, commended the Speaker for the gesture saying the relief materials will go a long way in ameliorating the food shortage in the camp.
On his part, Vincent Okuofajeke, Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, SERMA, who is also the camp Commandant of Isoko North IDP Camp, Ozoro, said everything is going on well at the IDP Camp.
Okuofajeke however, appealed for more beds for the IDPs in the camp, saying that out of the 1,180 IDPs in the camp, they only have just 500 beds.
At the Delta State University of Science and Technology, Ozoro, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Snapp Obore, said since the creation of the institution it has never experienced flooding.
” The University Library, the Faculty of Management Science, the Entrepreneur Science, are all covered with water. Our Engineering department is also not spared,” Prof. Obore said.
Pastor Jonathan Ukodhiko, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Isoko Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, commended the Speaker and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for the good work they are doing.
He said what is happening in Isoko nation is terrible and a difficult time for himself and his people, lamenting that the flood has affected about 80 percent of the population of Isoko nation.
“You can see that the way we responded to the flood situation this year is better than the one of 2012. This shows that some of us have been coming together and take proactive action to reduce the suffering of our people and this is very clear when you look at the way this camp is well organized,” Ukodhiko said.
