A nongovernmental organization, Divine Great Minds Empowerment Foundation (DGMEF), has said that over 400 residents of Okume community in Lokoja local government area of Kogi state are presently homeless and suffering as a result of flood disaster.
The group also appealed to the Kogi state government and spirited Nigerians to come to the aid of the Okume community where houses were completely submerged in water as a result of the 2022 flood disaster.
The executive director of the foundation, Ambassador Yakubu Abdulrazak, made the appeal Wednesday at Okume community during the distribution of food items to the habitants of the community.
He said the appeal becomes necessary by the virtue of the damage done to the community by the flood where most houses and farmlands were completely submerged in water.
“All the houses in the Okume community were completely submerged in water and most of the affected victims moved to the mountain as alternative shelter not minding the danger of wild animals that can easily harm them.
“In the next three months, the flood victims cannot return to their houses as the houses are still in the middle of the water. The victims were finding it difficult to feed as their farmland and crops have been destroyed by the flood disaster. The food items we distributed to them are far from enough because of the high numbers of people affected in the community.
“In view of this development, we are passionately appealing to Kogi state government through the State Emergency Management Agency(SEMA) and spirited Nigerians and corporate organisations to render assistance in the areas of provision of food items and other household needs to the flood victims in Okume community to ease their suffering,” he stated.
The youth chairman of the community, Bala Abdullahi, lamented that two months ago, the community sent a letter seeking assistance for relocation and provision of relief materials to the Kogi state government through SEMA, but there was no response till date.
