The activities of the Delta State Flood Relief Committee will be concluded in March after it began issuing cheques to owners of commercial farms. The committee was set up in October 2012 to superintend the utilization of the N500 million grant from the Federal Government to the state for the provision of relief to victims of the 2012 flood.
The first disbursement of N237 million was made to the committee in March 2013. The money was used to provide 54,217 bundles of hybrid cassava; 546,632 yam seedlings; 50,000 plantain suckers; 72,474 sachets and seeds of vegetable items (Okra, Green, Groundnut and Pumpkin) to the flood victims.
The fund was also utilized as grant to 242 churches devastated by the flood in the 14 local government areas impacted, construction and rehabilitation of boreholes in the 14 councils, construction and distribution of chairs/desks to 150 schools in the affected areas, and procurement and distribution of drugs to health centres in all the affected areas.
In December 2013, the state government released the balance of N262 million to the committee, which commenced work with it immediately. This is being utilized in the construction of 46 new boreholes in communities in the affected areas. More drugs have been ordered to increase the stock at the health centres in the areas while additional N10 million has been given as grant to the churches.
On Thursday, January 22, 2014, the committee commenced the distribution of cheques to 170 owners of commercial farms destroyed by the flood in all the affected local government areas. On the first day, 32 farmers received cheques for amounts ranging from N500,000 to N1 million. The exercise was concluded on Friday, January 31.
By the committee’s programme, full utilization of the funds, through all its activities, will be concluded before the end of March 2014.
The committee has Justice Francis Tabai (rtd) as chairman. Other members are Prof. Pat Utomi, Arch-Bishop God-Do-well Awomakpa, Mrs. Florence Ehinlaye, Paul Enebeli, Asanuvwie S. Oberhiri and Dr. Anthony Okwunze. The rest are Engr. Owen Mordi, Olise Ifejika, Barr. Oghenejabor Ikimi and Onyeisi Nkenchor.
