No fewer than 200 victims affected by a recent rainstorm in five communities of Enugu State were on Thursday presented with relief materials by the state government.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the victims are from Akaiyi Umulokpa in Uzo Uwani Local Government Area, Nara Unateze in Nkanu East Local Government Area and Ibagwa Nike in Enugu East Local Government Area.
The rest are from Ogbaku community in Awgu Local Government Area as well as Umu Itodo in Udenu Local Government Area of the state.
The Executive Secretary of Enugu State Emergency Management Agency, Nkechi Eneh, said that the gesture was a sort of compensation by the state government.
Eneh, who handed over the relief materials to the victims, said that the government was pained by the hardship the victims had passed through.
She said that the governor on hearing of the incident instructed SEMA to assess the damage with a view to cushioning the effects.
She said: “These materials are not for charity but for the victims of the rainstorm. It is a form of compensation to the victims aimed at cushioning the effects of the incidence.
“You have to ensure that there is transparency in the distribution of these items.”
In a remark, the Chairman of Nkanu East Local Government Area, Ikechukwu Ubagu, said that victims from the area were appreciative of the quick response of the state government.
Ubagu said that they were not taking for granted the kindness of the governor which he noted had ushered in a new vista in the development of the area.
Also speaking, the member representing Nkanu East in the State House of Assembly, Chief Paul Nnajiofor, said that the people of the area would repay the kindness of the governor in due course.
Onwujekwe Raphael, a victim from Akaiyi Umulokpa, said that the incident was better imagined.
Raphael said that many of the victims in his community had no option than to seek refuge under trees as the roof of their buildings were blown off.
NAN reports that some of the items presented to the victims included roofing sheets, bags of cement, bags of rice, garri, beans, confectioneries and vegetable oil.
Other items were detergent and rolls of wrappers.
Akaiyi Umulokpa Awgu Local Government Area Chief Paul Nnajiofor Enugu East Local Government Area Enugu State Enugu State Emergency Management Agency Ibagwa Nike Ikechukwu Ubagu Nara Unateze Nkanu East Local Government Area Nkechi Eneh Ogbaku community Udenu Local Government Area Umu Itodo Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area