Tinubu, Omo-Agege Donate N200m Relief Materials, Cash to Displaced Flood Victims in Delta
•Aviation workers’ strike stalls former Lagos governor’s visit, chopper movement
•FG has contigency plan to prevent food shortage, says Minister •Bayelsa hold thanksgiving despite travails, Diri urges calm
•Jonathan, Dickson, Jonah seek support for victims
Deji Elumoye in Abuja, Sylvester Idowu in Warri and Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa
Cash and relief materials worth N200 million have been donated to displaced flood victims in Delta State by the Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the party’s governorship candidate in the state, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.
This was just as the federal government in reacting to the recent massive flooding witnessed in the country, yesterday, disclosed that arrangements have been put in place to forestall food shortage in the wake of losses recorded in the farms.
Also, Bayelsans in their hundreds yesterday trooped out to celebrate and give thanks to God at the annual thanksgiving day with the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, urging the people not to be daunted in the face of the obvious challenges caused by the ravaging floods.
In Delta State, while Tinubu announced a donation of N50 million cash, Omo-Agege gave out N150 million worth of relief materials.
Addressing a mammoth crowd on behalf of Tinubu and himself in Effurun, Delta State yesterday, Senator Omo-Agege explained that the industrial action embarked upon by aviation workers halted the movement of the APC presidential candidate.
He said: “I am here wearing two caps. The first cap I am wearing is the cap of the governorship candidate of APC in the 2023 general election and the second cap is that of the coordinator of Bola Ahmed Tinubu Campaign Organisation in Delta State.
“The essence of this gathering today (yesterday) is to welcome our incoming president by God’s grace, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. The reason for the visit is to show solidarity, empathy and sympathy with our people as a result of the devastating flood in most of our communities here in Delta State and also to provide leadership in our fight to uproot bad governance imposed in Delta State in the past seven and half years.
“But as you all know, because of the strike in the aviation industry, and his reason for coming here is to visit IDP camps. And you know, to get to the IDP camps, you cannot get there by road. So we made arrangements to use helicopters to move our president-in-waiting and his entourage from here to IDP camps in Kwale in Delta North, Patani in Delta South and Okwagbe in Delta Central.
“But we have received a message that because of the strike in the aviation sector, we are not able to get any of those helicopters to move him from here to those IDP camps. So we have decided to reschedule this visit. He has promised that he is coming back within the next couple of days, he will let us know; at which time the aviation strike would have been called off and we will have access to the helicopters that will take him to those locations,” he explained to the crowd.
The APC governorship candidate said the party’s presidential candidate instructed him to make a donation of N50 million on his behalf because of the empathy he feels for the flood victims in the state.
“Our presidential candidate said that I should announce the donation of N50million to Deltans who have lost their homes and source of livelihood and who are currently in IDP camps,” he disclosed, assuring that the money would be made available to them through the Director General of the campaign, Elder Godsdey Orubebe.
“We are going to sit down and work out the modality on how this N50 million will be shared to each of the IDP camps to ameliorate the conditions of our people. We know that no one man can restore the losses suffered by our people. So this is Tinubu’s own way of showing love to the people of Delta State.
“In addition to that, in my capacity as the governorship candidate of APC in Delta State and as Deputy Senate President and Senator representing Delta Central, I have also made arrangements and we have acquired relief materials worth N150 million.
“We have made all of the procurements, food items, cement, mattresses, rice, roofing sheets and more. And beginning on Friday, we are going to set up a committee that will move from IDP camp to IDP camp to distribute all of these materials to our people who have been displaced as a result of this flood”, he said.
At Okwagbe, where he led the APC train to visit the IDP camps, Omo-Agege expressed sympathy on behalf of Tinubu and himself, and said the N200 million donation was a heartfelt contribution by both of them to cushion the plight of the victims of the flood.
He said the people of Delta were prepared to vote out the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and asked Okwagbe people to join the APC winning team
Omo-Agege’s running mate, Rt. Hon. Friday Osanebi, led the mission to Kwale IDP camp, while DG of the campaign, Orubebe led another team to Patani IDP camp.
Flooding: FG Has Contigency Plan to Prevent Food Shortage, Says Minister
Meanwhile, the federal government yesterday disclosed that arrangements have been put in place to forestall food shortage in the wake of losses recorded in the farms as a result of recent flood disaster that ravaged the country.
Agriculture and Rural Development Minister, Mohammed Abubakar, made this known while speaking with newsmen at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting which was presided over by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo at the State House, Abuja.
The minister also talked about FEC’s approval of a memorandum presented by his ministry for the Revised Comprehensive Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan for the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Nigeria, (the Animal Component).
Abubakar listed multiple dry season farming and other measures as part of government’s plans to mitigate the losses to the floods.
Asked if the federal government had any plan to forestall food shortage as had been projected by various sources, following the devastating flooding, Abubakar said besides re-strategised planting patterns, funding has been secured to aid the plans.
He explained: “What are we doing to avert food shortage? Number one, first and foremost, we have in place an intensive plan for dry season farming. We have gotten funding from the African Development Bank, we have some money also in our own provision, also, IFAD, that is the International Fund for Agricultural Development also just donated or grant, if you will, $5 million.
“So, we have some money that we are already planning to do dry season farming. Also, in areas of conflict, we are recruiting additional rangers.
“I told you in another forum that we have Agro Rangers that provide some measure of security on farm lands. We are recruiting more to do that.
“Also, we are intensifying farming in areas that have no conflict to make up for those areas that we are getting little or no access.
“So the thing is the government, Mr. President, have specifically directed that we do everything humanly possible to make sure there is no food shortage in the country and I can tell you, there will not be any food shortage.
“Between the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Central Bank and other private investors in agriculture, there’s enough grains in our own silos, in CBN and silos, that will cater for any eventualities and currently, the Humanitarian Ministry is picking up some grains from us to distribute to the needy. So I can assure you, by the grace of God, there will be no food shortage.”
On what the preliminary outlook of the damage to farming by the floods looked like, he said, “definitely, it’s telling us that yes, we have lost some farmlands. For example, I can give you one. The Olam, which is a private organization, has a rice mill that has been totally submerged, about 4000 hectares.
“So there are farmlands that are definitely damaged. But what are we going to do, like I said, it’s to use dry season farming to compensate for this loss. In fact, we are planning to even produce twice during this dry season farming for some of the crops,” he said.
Speaking on the approved memorandum, the Minister said, “today the Federal Ministry of Agriculture Rural Development presented a memo on the Revised Comprehensive Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan for the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Nigeria, (the Animal Component).
“If you’ll recall, bird flu has been something that we see and hear about in Asia, but of course, in 2006, Nigeria experienced the very first one and at the time, we lost about 1.2 million birds, chicken.
“This is a highly pathogenic viral infection that is so contagious and Zoonotic, meaning it can go from animals to humans and can cause death and can cause sickness. So the previous policy was put together by experts back in 2005, in order to contain, quickly, any kind of outbreak of bird flu. But the sector has grown so much with additional importation of maybe new and exotic birds.
“Therefore, the need to revise this policy and produce a new one that will conform with the current happenings in the industry. That is why this new policy is being put forward by the ministry and it’s the same, I mean, it’s called the Comprehensive Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan to contain any future occurrence”, Abubakar said.
Bayelsans Holds Thanksgiving Despite Travails as Diri Urges Calm
Bayelsans in their hundreds yesterday trooped out to celebrate and give thanks to God at the annual thanksgiving day with the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, urging the people not to be daunted in the face of the obvious challenges caused by the ravaging floods.
This year’s event which was the 11th edition of the annual event initiated by the former Governor, Senator Seriake Dickson, had in attendance many prominent Bayelsans from all walks of life including former President, Goodluck Jonathan.
Speaking during the annual thanksgiving at the Ecumenical Centre in Igbogene, Diri commended the people for turning out en masse for the event despite being displaced and rendered homeless by the floods.
The state’s helmsman commended the resilience of the people that he noticed as he traversed the length and breadth of the state to sympathise with the victims and expressed optimism that better days were ahead.
He said some persons tried to discourage government from holding the annual thanksgiving due to the flooding, but was thankful to God that the event held.
He expressed confidence that God Almighty would reward people of the state for their faith.
Diri lauded Jonathan, his predecessor in office, Senator Seriake Dickson, Pastor Paul Eneche and all who made sacrifices to be part of this year’s thanksgiving.
He stressed that the flood, which did not discriminate based on party affiliation, highlighted the need for leaders and people of the state to unite.
“The irony is that since the floods came, I have been traversing communities and visiting the people across all the local government areas. I have had the privilege of knowing another dimension of grace in the life of our great people.
“They are resilient, tenacious, courageous, joyous, and full of unexampled charity and thankfulness. Wherever I have visited to empathise with the people, I have rather left more edified and energised.
“Out of the little that they manage to rescue from their farms, they have given me provision of foodstuff. It is the authentic generous Ijaw spirit, which looks out for each other. I have never been more proud of our people than at this time. Perhaps if the naysayers leave the comfort of their homes, they too will appreciate the mood of the people.
“Indeed, if there is a time that we need to give thanks, it is now. The Bible declares that those who know their God will be strong and they will do exploits. We only need to reflect on February 13, 2020 to know that we serve a Mighty God. The same God who delivered us from COVID-19 surely will also deliver us from this flood.
“This flood did not affect people along party lines. It should be a clear message to us that we have common challenges and we can only solve them when we are united. Let us not be deceived into factionalising to suit the political interest of politicians who look for us only when they need our votes,” he added.
In his remarks, Jonathan appreciated Dickson for building the Ecumenical Centre and instituting the annual thanksgiving, saying, “as a people we can achieve nothing without God.”
He also lauded Diri for continuing the thanksgiving, saying his administration has made God a priority and will always receive divine blessings.
On the issue of the ravaging floods, Jonathan joined the call for the federal government to assist the state in the recovery process, saying he was optimist that given the efforts he had made alongside other leaders, help will come from the centre.
“Let me commend Senator Dickson for showing commitment to the service of God. He built this edifice and initiated this thanksgiving service.
“You place God first and God will continue to bless you and bless the state.
“Let me also thank Governor Diri for continuing with the programme. I thank the clergymen for their continuous work as well as Pastor Paul Eneche for his service to God and nation.
“I do not want to overemphasise the disaster that has befallen us. Everybody is an IDP (internally displaced person) in Bayelsa State. I have discussed with the President and Vice President and I believe help will come.
“We empathise with all of you. Coming out today when we are still affected by the flood is significant,” Jonathan said.
In their goodwill messages, Dickson and his then deputy, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John-Jonah (rtd), emphasised the need for the federal government to come to the aid of the state to mitigate the effects of the flood.
The leaders commended the people of the state for their display of love for godly things and expressed optimism that divine blessings will never cease from the state as God had never abandoned His people.
Delivering a sermon, Pastor Eneche of the Dunamis International Church praised the people for coming out to praise God despite the difficulty times they face.
He likened their situation to that of the people of God in the past like Paul and Silas who praised God in difficult moments and were blessed.
