Ebute Metta inferno: Lagos worried over 98 malnourished kids in camp

The General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Femi Oke Osanyintolu, has stated that no fewer than 98 children of Oko Baba fire victims in Ebute Metta area of the state are currently in the Agbowa Relief Camp in Ikorodu.
Osanyintolu, who made the disclosure on Sunday while on a visit to the camp to assess the wellbeing of the displaced victims who had since relocated to the camp, said investigations by the agency revealed that all 98 children of the victims were malnourished.
He added that everything needed to mitigate the effect of the loss of properties on the victims had been provided in the camp in accordance with the directives of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, adding that efforts are also ongoing by the state’s Ministry of Education to take charge of the education needs of the displaced children in the camp.
He said the agency, based on Fashola’s directives, has provided all necessary things to ensure that the displaced victims feel comfortable at the camp.
His words: “As I mentioned earlier, all these are just to provide psychological, emotional and socio-economic relief for them as a result of the hardship they must have been going through due to the fire disaster.
“We have provided shelter and all facilities for them.
“The feeding is three times in a day and we ensure that especial attention is given to the children.
“We have also provided in the camp sporting and recreational facilities for the IDPs in the camp.
“Beyond this, we slaughter one cow per week in addition to chicken and different species of fish we serve them to enhance their nutrition.
“That is why you can see that they are very happy with the our officials.”
Osanyintolu stressed that there was room for some of the IDPs to learn vocational skills by the state’s Ministry of Women affairs and Poverty Alleviation, adding that all stakeholders such as UNICEF, LASAMBUS, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps are all in the camp to ensure that the IDPs are properly catered for.
Giving a run down on the number of people being catered for in the camp, Osanyintolu said 1,005 IDPs are in the camp, out of which 450 permanently reside in the camp.
He added the camp has 98 children and 10 pregnant women.
He said: “We have also provided transportation needs for them at the camp.
“By 6am, bus takes some of them to Mile 12 while in the evening, precisely by 6:30pm, they are returned to the camp.
“That is for those who intend to go out of the place.”
One of the internally displaced victims Fatahi Salaudeen, who said he had lost hope when he lost his eight wooden rooms to the inferno, commended the government for the treatment in the camp.