Date: 2020-07-20

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has commenced the distribution of relief materials to 662 households affected by wind and rainstorm in three local government areas in Kwara North senatorial district.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the affected local government areas are Kaiama, Baruten and Edu.

The agency distributed materials made up of food and non-food items to the affected persons in order to ameliorate the impact of the disaster they suffered and enable them to restart their lives.

The items included 662 bags of rice (12.5kg), 662 bags of maize (12.5kg), 662 bags of beans (25kg), 66 bags of sugar, 66 kegs of vegetable oil and 1,300 pieces of the mattress.

Others were 1,300 pieces of blankets, 1,300 pieces of mosquito net, 1,200 bags of cement, 1,000 bundles of roofing sheet, 175 bags of 3 inches nail, and 350 packets of zinc nail.

The two-day distribution exercise began on Saturday in Ilakpa, Edu Local Government Area.

The Director-General of NEMA, retired AVM Muhammadu Muhammed, who made the presentation of the items, noted that the agency had earlier responded to the disaster when it was brought to its notice.

Muhammed said that NEMA was instructed by the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Faruq, to assess the situation.

He said this informed the current distribution exercise.

The director-general, who was represented by the agency's head of Minna Operations, Ms Lydia Madu, said the exercise was also to identify with the affected persons in their time of need and ensure they felt the impact of government at the grassroots level.

The distribution exercise was done in the presence of representatives of Kwara State Emergency Management Authority, traditional leaders and residents.

Two of the beneficiaries, Jibril Mohammed and Mariam Haruna, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, expressed their happiness and promised to make use of the items judiciously.