Delta Flood Relief Committee Issues Cheques To Farmers, To Wind Down In March

Source: pointblanknews.com

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.