Frank Efe
The Delta State Flood Management Committee set up by the State Government has presented cheques of 18 million naira as compensation to churches that were seriously affected by the unprecedented flood disaster of last year.
Chairman of the Flood Committee, Justice Francis Tabai presented the cheques to Arch Bishop Goddowell Awomakpa, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, South/South Chapter, on behalf of the affected churches, today, at the Missionary Crusaders Church, Warri.
While presenting the cheques to the affected churches, Justice Tabai charged the representatives of the affected churches to put the money into judicious use, saying he believes that as men of God the money will get to the people they are meant for.
Justice Tabai, however, disclosed that this was the first time the committee was parting away with cash since it was set up by Governor Uduaghan, stressing that they were doing this because of the caliber of men they were dealing with in the churches.
“We have not given out one kobo to anybody since we started. But when we are dealing with churches, even if there are no statistics, we felt we can rely on the leadership of the church and that is why we are here. As we are here, whatever we are giving to you we feel it will get to the people for whom this money is meant. This is the only area that even without statistics we can do something and get it right,” Justice Tabai said.
He also said the greatest challenge the committee was facing was that of statistics because what they had cannot go round the number of people affected by the flood.
He said; “What has been the greatest challenge? The only thing that can guide you rightly is having that sense of justice, fairness which has been our guiding principle. We had some money and some items people donated. The only problem is how we share these things. So the greatest challenge was that of statistics since that time. If it is five naira and we know that there are five people; one, one naira each, then it goes. But here is a situation where you want to distribute bags of rice and the people affected are almost two million and you have three hundred bags of rice. How do you share it?”
The flood committee chairman also stressed that it was because of the difficulty they had in terms of statistics, that was why the committee had to set up another sub-committee to handle the funds on behalf of the churches.
Speaking further, Justice Tabai said; “We are mortal beings and because of those characteristics we are always making mistakes. But then we continue to pray to God to continue to guide us because if he does not guide us, human beings cannot go anywhere. So this is why we are here. We have here, through the statistics and information supplied by you the Chairman and other members of the Christian Association of Nigeria, this money that we are going to give to you.”
Receiving the cheques on behalf of the churches, Arch Bishop Awomakpa thanked the Delta State governor for remembering the church first, just as he said that this is the first phase of the disbursement of fund and that more funds will come to the church as the church is soliciting for more funds worldwide.
Speaking on behalf of the churches, Reverend Gideon Ogheneruemu Oyibo, chairman CAN, Delta State Chapter, said that with this gesture the governor has proven that he is concerned about the welfare of the people affected by the flood.
