The Cross River State Emergency Management Agency has distributed humanitarian relief materials donated by the South-South Development Commission to disaster victims in three local government areas of the state.
The intervention followed the presentation of a fire truck and relief materials to the Cross River State Government by the SSDC, represented by the Deputy Governor, Peter Odey, on behalf of Governor Bassey Otu.
The distribution, which took place on Friday at the agency’s warehouse, covered Ikom, Obubra and Etung Local Government Areas in the Central Senatorial District.
The Director-General of CR-SEMA, Efa Nyong, supervised the exercise and handed over the relief materials to the vice chairmen of the affected councils, who also chair their respective Local Emergency Management Committees, for onward distribution to identified victims.
Speaking during the exercise, Nyong said “the agency was committed to ensuring that the materials reached households affected by fire outbreaks, flooding and other disasters.”
He explained that involving the Local Emergency Management Committees would facilitate the distribution process because of their knowledge of affected communities and the needs of victims.
The CR-SEMA boss appreciated the SSDC for its intervention and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to working with local emergency structures to provide support for disaster-affected residents.
Receiving the items on behalf of their councils, the vice chairmen expressed appreciation to the commission, the state government and CR-SEMA for extending the intervention to their areas.
The Vice Chairman of Obubra Local Government Area, Leonard Ogwa, particularly thanked Otu for supporting the agency and strengthening its capacity to respond to emergencies.
Also present were the Vice Chairman of Etung, Innocent Assam and his Ikom counterpart, Maurice Ndoma, who received the materials on behalf of their respective councils.