Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has expressed gratitude to the federal government for extending palliatives to flood victims in Imo State, saying it will help to give the victims hope and encourage them start a new life.
He spoke Thursday when he received some quantities of rice, beans, vegetable oil, cooking stoves, mosquito nets, beddings and other items from the Federal Government which he said will help the victims to cushion the effect of the last flood disaster in Imo State.
Appreciating the gesture at the venue of the flag-off of the distribution on Thursday, December 12, 2024, the Governor thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was represented by the Minister for Regional Development, Alhaji Abubakar Momoh, for coming to the aid of the flood victims having been “left with nothing to start their lives but the grace of God.”
The Governor said that the palliative will help the victims create a new hope and start a new life and assured that with the right persons in the Palliative Committee the materials will definitely reach the targeted persons.
Governor Uzodimma did not only thank the Federal Government for the gesture, but noted that the people have suffered a lot, and used the opportunity to request the Federal Government to urge the Oil Companies to remedy the disaster occasioned by their activities in the region including the flood incidences.
The Governor however noted that the Niger Delta States need some help. “We need our environment to be cleaned, we need gas flaring to be stopped, we need a clean environment, we need clean energy. We want you to do your best to come to our aid and also manage to dredge our creeks because the moment our creeks are dredged this water will have somewhere to go in and incidence like this may either reduce or be eliminated totally.”
He also thanked the Ministry of Regional Development and all involved for their concern in bringing the palliatives and reiterated the readiness of the State to do the needful.
Presenting the palliatives to the Governor earlier, the Minister of Regional Development, Alhaji Abubakar Momoh said that Imo is the 7th State out of the nine States of the Niger Delta Region, affected by the flood disaster to receive the palliatives.
Momoh informed that the palliatives include rice, beans, vegetable oil, beddings, Mattresses, mosquito nets, among other items.
He said the President was concerned about the plight of the flood victims and had directed that Committees be setup to ensure the palliatives get to the target audience.
He commended the organizational acumen and managerial competence of Governor Uzodimma in all aspects of administration, and expressed no doubt that Imo State will do the needful to ensure the palliatives get to the right people.
He used the same opportunity to thank the Governor for his role in the recent Edo and Ondo States governorship elections that gave the APC victory in both States.
Present at the flagged-off were the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Lady Chinyere Ekomaru, the National Chairman of APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, Minister for Innovation Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Niger Delta Affairs, Rt. Hon. Eugene Dibiagwu, members of the State Expanded Executive Council and other stakeholders too numerous to mention.