The Akwa Ibom State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has distributed relief materials worth millions of naira to 126 verified victims of natural disasters in the state.
The relief materials included roofing sheets, nails, mattresses, blankets, towels, mats, mosquito nets, clothing materials, plates, plastic pails and cups.
Mr Samuel Inyang, the SEMA Desk Officer, who presented the materials on behalf of the Deputy Governor, Mr Moses Ekpo, said they were received from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Inyang said that the 126 beneficiaries were victims of various natural disasters such as flood, fire and wind storm documented between 2016 and 2017 in the state.
He said that this phase of distribution of relief materials targeted mainly individual victims of natural disasters and not claims by groups or associations.
“These relief materials were consignments received from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) by the Akwa Ibom government.” Inyang said.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), a beneficiary, Mrs Joy Udoh, thanked the state government for the kind gesture.
Udoh, who is from Ikot Ekan in Etinan local government area, said that she lost all her household items to flood in May 2016.
“I lost all my property, my clothing, even my cooked food that I just finished preparing; it was a terrible experience.
“I thank God for visiting me today. This is a good development in our state,” Udoh said.
Another beneficiary, Mr Jacob Sunday, told NAN that he was grateful for the kind gesture of the state government.
Sunday, who is a lawyer and a landlord in Ikot Abasi local government area of the state, noted however, that the relief was not commensurate with the magnitude of losses.
He said that the flooding that occurred along Ntuen Ibok street in Ikot Abasi local government area that destroyed his property was caused by poor drainage system.
Sunday said that that SEMA’s relief materials had not addressed the problem of drainage on the street and as such, the flooding was likely to resurface.
In his comment, another victim of fire disaster from Uyo local government area, Mr Ita Edem, thanked God for making the state government to come his aid.
Edem said that he was grateful for the kind gesture extended to him and his family.