The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Wednesday, distributed relief materials to victims of flood in Yangoji community, Kwali Area Council, Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the items distributed included food and nonfood items, such as rice, maize, spaghetti, macaroni and cooking oil.
Others are mattresses, mosquito nets, plastic buckets, soap, cups cooking stuff, pots,wrappers and building materials – cement, zink, nails and ceilings.
The Director-General of the agency, Dr Abass Idriss, said during the event at the palace of the Village Head, that the gesture was to cushion the effects of the flood on the victims.
Idriss said that the flood, which occured in the early hours of July 4, destroyed 70 houses, washed away several farmlands, properties and affected more than180 people.
He advised residents of the community, particularly those living on flood plains to relocate to higher ground to avoid reoccurrence.
He also urged the residents to heed to early warnings by relevant agencies on eminent flooding to prevent flooding.
“People must learn to stop building houses on water ways and dumping of refuse in drainages to prevent flood,” he said.
From L-R: Principal Executive Officer, FEMA, Mr Isah Abubakar; Chairman Kwali Area Council, Mr Mr Danladi Chiya; Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Mr Olusade Adesola; the Village Head of Yangoji community, Mr Dantani Chindawa; Director-General, FEMA, Dr Abass Idriss; and Higher Executive Officer, Relief and Rehabilitation, FEMA, Mr Lukman Lawal, during an assessment of a narrow culvert that is contributing to the recurring flood in Yangoji community on Wednesday.
Mr Olusade Adesola, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), said while handing over the items to some of the victims, that the gesture was to help the victims to recover from the shocks.
Adesola added that the support would assist the victims to rebuild their lives while finding lasting solution to the recurring flood in the area.
He expressed President Bola Tinubu’s sympathy, adding that the relief materials was his way of saying, “I feel your pain and agony” .
He promised that the FCTA would work with relevant agencies to address some of the causes of the flood.
He commended the Chairman of Kwali Area Council, Mr Danladi Chiya, for the support, and urged him to establish Local Emergency Management Committee in the area.
According to him, the measure will ensure a well coordinated approach to emergency response in the area.
Earlier, Chiya thanked the FCTA and FEMA for the support, which he described as “very timely”, to ease the pains of the victims.
Also, the Village Head of the community, Mr Dantani Chindawa, said that apart from flood, the community was equally faced with security challenges.
Chindawa said that many of the more than 12,000 people of the community were forced to relocate to other communities due to security challenges.
He urged the FCTA to deploy more security personnel to improve security in community.
One of the victims, Mrs Dinatu Daniel, a mother of three, said that their house was destroyed by the flood and washed away their belongings and other valuables.
She commended FEMA and the FCT Administration for coming to their aid, saying ‘it will go along way in reducing their pains.
(NAN)