The Chief Press Secretary to Kogi State Deputy Governor Yomi Awoniyi, Mr Abu Micheal, has described as untrue alleged claim of diversion of Donation meant to mitigate last year’s flood disaster in the State and the neglect of affected victims made against the State Government by faceless persons parading themselves as flood victims.
Reacting to a story,” Flood Victims alleged diversion of Donation” published in a Kogi Community Based Magazine and also in a National Daily, the Media Aide frowned at the misrepresentation of facts on the Donations received by the State Government and urged Journalists to always cross check their facts before rushing to the press.
Abu Micheal noted that N753,092,704.00 was the total amount of donations received by the state with major donations of N500million, N150million, N50million, N10million and another N10million coming from the Federal Government, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and his Foundation, Jide Omokore, Alh Isa Kutepa and Kano State Government respectively.
The N230million which one of the writers claimed was diverted was never a part of the flood donation, rather it was money donated for women empowerment and was never given for flood purposes.
The money the Aide disclosed is being administered by Dangote Foundation in conjunction with a Board established from the office of the Kogi State first lady for women in the 21 LGA for purposes of economic empowerment.
Mr Abu noted that the State has being very sensitive to the plight of those genuinely affected by flood right from when they were camped until the last set that left the Barracks Camp six months after the flood had receded.
The Media Aide said while winding up the camps, victims were given N50,000 and foodstuff to enable them resettle in their homes. Another sum of N139,550,000 he added was given as assistance to those affected in the nine council areas, wondered what other form of concern the Magazine would have wanted the government to show.
Similarly, the on-going building of about 300 houses for victims in Lokoja, by the Government at the cost of N665million which the Aide noted is first of its kind in the country calls for commendation and not criticism as is done by the Magazine and the Newspaper.
The buildings he added is also being replicated in the nine affected council areas to cater for similar flood victims.
It is also important to state that during the flood crisis,the facilities in most schools used as camps were over stretched to the extent that school furnitures and roofs were used as fire wood by displaced persons for cooking. The amount used in rehabilitating those schools and equipping them with furnitures is not only reasonable but the cheapest that can be gotten any where in the country. N83,376,646.55 was used to rehabilitate and furnish some affected schools across the state.
Similarly, roads badly affected by the flood had the sum of N423 million used in their reconstruction. This is aside N200 million used in the accelerated dry season farming that provided employment for teeming graduates and as a recovery window for farmers in the State.
If the authors of the publications really carried out a survey as claimed on the state government preparedness towards the 2013 expected flood, aside taking several proactive measures to mitigate the predicted flood put in place,government is equally building camps across the nine affected LGA’s equipped with toilets,bore holes,Generators and other facilities. It has also bought non perishable items that will be most needed by those that will be affected as well as emergency rescue and medical equipments.
The State Emergency Management Agency since the last year’s flood has also embarked on a massive post flood sensitization campaign for those living in flood prone areas to move upland. The Agency’s staff have equally undergone several training program for its personnel,Journalists as well as those involved in rescue mission in the State on how to be better equipped for future challenges.
That the present administration has handled the issues of the donations received with utmost transparency by advertising monies it received and how it was judiciously used to mitigate the impact of the flood shows for once that a government can be sincere and transparent because it has conscience. So far, the records shows that much more money was spent than what was received an indication that the government never relied only on the donations received. It is also an indication of how responsible the present administration in the state is.
The Media Aide called on journalists to desist from misrepresentation of facts and playing to the gallery all in attempt to score cheap popularity and draw attention from arm chair critics.
Hello Muhammed Onogwu…etemeya and avudahi? What’s the best way to reach the Editor of Kogireports.com as I intend to become a weekly/monthly columnist on technology issues. Anyone – shout me an email at luther@sprintconnect.com.