The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Friday commenced its special programme to cushion the effects of victims of the 2022 flood disaster in Ondo State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme tagged: “Special National Economic Livelihood Emergency Intervention (SNELI)” is being held across the 36 states of the federation.
Materials distributed at the event are; food items, water pumps, mattresses, and agricultural materials among others.
The Director General of NEMA, Alhaji Mustapha Habib, said at the event in Akure that the programme was a special intervention to support the long-term recovery of the country.
Habib, who was represented at the event by the Supervisor for the Programme in Ondo State, Mr Olatunde Mohammed, said the programme was to achieve sustainable socioeconomic resilience of the targeted population.
“I wish to recall that the programme was granted by the Federal Government for the implementation of SNELI to support the long term recovery of the country.
“This special intervention is designed to be in the form of food and non-food items, rehabilitation inputs, livelihood support tools, crop seedlings, livestock, fisheries and animal healthcare to be distributed to the targeted population to enable them return to normalcy and achieve sustainable socioeconomic resilience,” he said.
He said the procured items were already in the state and would be distributed accordingly to the targeted population across the 18 local government areas of the state.
The Administrative Secretary, Office of the Deputy Governor, Mr Idowu Ojo, said the programme was different from the state palliative programme.
Ojo said the programme was to cushion the effect of disasters in the past in a special intervention way.
“This is an important programme by the Federal Government to make people live a good life. There were disasters in the past and the Federal Government intervened. This is not a palliative programme, this is a special intervention programme ,” he said.
Ojo, however, appreciated NEMA for the support to the states, urging people to protect government property and prevent indiscriminate dumping of refuse on waterways.
Pastor Olom Benson, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, appreciated the Federal and state governments for always coming to their rescue in times of need. (NAN)