Over 15,000 victims of the 2017 flood disaster in Kogi state have benefited from the relief materials sent to the state by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). The agency appealed to the people who are living closer to river bank to move to high ground in order to minimise the impact during the raining season.
Addressing the management of Kogi local government area in Koto Karfi yesterday during the flag -off of distribution of items to over 2,000 victims in the council, the representative of NEMA, Mr Anyegba Hassan disclosed that 15,874 victims across the nine local government areas of the state were affected by the flood disaster in 2017.
According to him, “We are here today in Kogi state to ensure that the items released by the federal government reach the actual victims who are the beneficiaries.” Hassan, who pointed out that by virtue of the geographical location of Kogi, the state is prone to flood disaster every rainy season, appealed to the people living near river banks to move to the up land to reduce the incident of flooding.
Speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Emergency, Mr Yakubu Ocholi, disclosed that Kogi, Lokoja, Bassa, Ajaokuta, Ofu, Obaje, Idah, Dekina and Ankpa were affected by the flood. Ocholi warned the management of the local government areas not to share the materials to family members or people who are not from the LGs, stressing that whoever indulged in diverting the items would be sanctioned by the state government. The Administrator of the local government, Barrister Mohammed Tanko Musa, commended the federal government for prompt response to the plight of the flood victims in the state. Items distributed by NEMA in the nine local government areas
