By: Our Reporter, Calabar
Over 250 victims of the January fire disasters in 4 Corners , Ikom and Ishibori , Ogoja main markets have been relieved with sundry consumables.
The relief materials which included bags of rice, garri , seasonings and other sundry items were distributed at incident locations at Ikom and Ogoja.
The intervention was done by the National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ) in collaboration with the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
In a remark at the event, the Head Of Operations NEMA, Uyo Operations Office, Mrs. Mmandu Aisueni said that the magnanimity from the Federal Government was borne out of sympathy for the traders who were traumatized due to the loss of property worth millions of Naira which she noted had apparently dislocated their livelihood.
She commended the State Government for it’s collaboration in facilitating the relief and praised the recipients of the relief materials for exhibiting decorum throughout the period of the exercise.
Addressing the victims, the Director- General, Cross River State Emergency Management Agency ( SEMA), Mr Antigha disclosed that the intervention was the first phase expressing confidence that the State was considering further assistance to provide succour to the fire disaster victims.
Mr Antigha stated that the State Governor, Apostle Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu was empathetic over the unfortunate incident and urged the victims to be consoled.
The DG who described the disaster as devastating attributed the inferno to man-made and cautioned Cross Riverians against carelessness and indiscriminate use of fire especially around combustible materials.
He used the opportunity to remind the people of the State of the impending heavy rains as predicted by NIMET and the possibility of flooding as an aftermath advising that precautionary measures should be taken at individual and community levels to mitigate the hazard while the State Government strategise on mitigation.
He pointed out that the call had become imperative because of the high vulnerability of most communities in almost all the Local Government Areas of the State. victims in Ikom and Ogoja receive relief mate
