NIMASA Extends Relief Materials Donation To Flood Victims In Delta state

By Stephen Ubanna

Ischei Osamgbi, a Deputy Director, in -charge , of Public Relations Department,  Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, is a happy man. Osamgbi’s source of happiness   was the fact  that the agency has finally extended  the multi-million naira  relief materials donation to the flood victims in Delta,his home state.  

Dakuku peterside, the Director General of the agency was said to have saddled  him with the responsibility of leading the delegation  that  handed over the relief materials to the  state government  for  distribution  to the flood victims.  The NIMASA Image maker, may have  seen the assignment as a home coming as the delegation were warmly received by Earnest Ogwezy, Commissioner for Bureau of SSpecial Duties, on behalf of the  state gover at Asaba , the state Capital.

 In making the donations to the flood victims in the state, Peterside, the NIMASA  boss,  disclosed that they were encouraged to embark on  the project  because of the Federal government Social Investment Programme designed to alleviate the suffering of the Internally Displaced people, IDPs, including flood victims, across the nooks and crannies of the country.  

 The NIMASA boss who commiserated with the families of those who lost their loved ones and property, t found in the IDP  Camps , thhrough Osambi,  the Image maker, , assured them of the”  agency’s unalloyed  preparedness to extend support to Nigerians in distress”.  ” As  a socially responsible  Corporate entity, he insists  that the agency remains committed  to supporting all  Nigerians in distress, ”irrespective  of any potential visible odds”. He may have gladdened the heart of the fllood victims  found in the IDP Camps in the state  that  the fact that  they have left their ancestral homes to be in an IDP Camp provided by the government  does not” make them less Nigerians”.

Note that Delta, was one of the states ,  earmarked  for the relief Programme in the country. The agency had earlier extended the facility to Ondo, Ogun, Bayels, Lagos and Kaduna among others.  Eye witness disclosed that the  relief materials  dropped for the flood victims in the state range from  mattresses,  School bags,  Fishing nets, Blankets,  Tins of Powder, milk, Beverages, Soap/Detergents, Sugar and Noddles . The items also include food stuff  such as Bags of Salt,  Garri, Rice,  Palm and Vegetable Oil.

Expressing the  state government  appreciation to  the gesture, Ogwezy,  the Commissioner for Bureau for Special Duties,  assured the NIMASA delegation  that  the items delivered to the state   will be ”judiciously  used to ensure  a better  standard of living  for the IDPs ”. He noted that the state government  are very much ”aware of the plight  of the people and would do everything possible to support  them  to return to return back to normal life again.

 The Commissioner, opined  that it may seem that their pride has been taken away  by their current circumstances , but that the state government has not hesitated  in making them  know that  ”there is hope , hope galvanised  by good governance and sound leadership”.  The Value News finding shows that since NIMASA cue into   President Muhammadu Buhari  Social Investment Policy Programme, SIP,  Policy, coupled with his persistent  appeals  to agencies  and non- governmental Organisations  to partner with the government  to adequately  cater for the need of Nigerians who are  affected   by one form of disaster  or another, it has taken the lead that it has become a household names  in 20 states of the Federation.   This is  the reason why other  ministry of Transportation agencies like the Nigerian Ports Authority,, NPA,  Nigerian Inland Waterways, NIWA, Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC and Nigerian Raiway Corporation must follow the foot step of NIMASA.  

Maritime watchers are not expecting these  other ministry of Transportation agencies to do as much  as NIMAS but could  provide relief materials to identified critical states.

Sanusi Lamido  Sanusi, a former governor of Central Bank of NigeriA, CBN, and now , Emir of Kano,  was very much involved in providing relief materials to the  IDP Camps, during the  Administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.