As part of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, efforts to mitigate the effects of flooding on the people of the state, the commission has distributed palliatives to flood-prone communities across the eight local government areas of Bayelsa State.
The NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, who spoke during the the distribution of the relief materials in Yenagoa, hinted that the show of love was one of the ways the Commission could respond to the challenges confronting the people and also a way of cushioning the effects of the perennial flooding in many communities across the state; while reaffirming the commission’s commitment to ameliorate the challenges facing the people of the Niger Delta region, he added that the palliatives which was received by the various representatives of communities was majorly given in order to reduce their problems to minimum ebbs.
Ogbuka, was represented by the NDDC Director, Procurement, Dr. Week Doodei and the Director of the Bayelsa State office of the Commission, Engr. Godknows Alamieyeseigha during the hand-over process. He pleaded with flood victim community leaders to ensure that the items got to the vulnerable people in their areas, warning that hoarding and diversion of the items would not be tolerated.
Ogbuka, further tasked the various representatives of the flood hit communities to carefully and equitably distribute the materials and endeavor to ensure that all those affected by the flood, will gainfully bounce back strong again after losses.
According to him:, “We assure you that the NDDC has very good programmes for the people of the Niger Delta region and as many people as possible will benefit from the distribution of the palliatives.
“We Share in the pains of the victims of the flooding in Bayelsa State. We realise that they have lost a lot which cannot be replaced. We assure you that the NDDC has very good programmes for the people of the Niger Delta region and as many people as possible will benefit from the distribution of the palliatives.
“The NDDC is not only about building roads and physical infrastructure. We also intervene in social services. We will monitor the distribution of these palliatives to ensure that they get to the affected areas.
“This intervention will take place in all the NDDC mandate states because the Commission was set up to address situations such as this.”
The relief materials which included food and household items, farm inputs, and livelihood items such as canoes, fishing nets, hooks, among others.
However, after a thorough inspection of the relief materials loaded on many trucks, the representatives of the NDDC boss directed the community leaders to ensure that the various items were taken to the different local government areas and communities where they would be distributed.
