Date: 2012-01-24

Kwara State government has spent about N10 million on relief materials and provision of cash to victims of various disasters in the state. Speaking with the Community News in Ilorin, the Special Assistant to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed on Emergency and Relief Services, Alhaji Musa Abdulahi, said 210 fire disaster victims and 180 rainstorm disaster victims were taken care of since he assumed office last July. "Since the inception of this administration, most of the disaster victims had been adequately taken care of. For example, in the last four months, a sum of N5 million was released to purchase relief materials for victims of rainstorm disaster and these were distributed to all the affected victims in Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Ilorin South, Oyun, Ifelodun and Asa local government councils. "Last November, N4 million was released by Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed's government to provide succour to 55 victims of fire disaster in the state. The victims of fire disaster at Sofoluwe street, Murtala Mohammed way were among the beneficiaries", he said. Alhaji Abdullahi, explained that government's effort was to show humanitarian feelings, concern and determination to assist the people and not just to fold arms while the masses wallow in abject sufferings. He said that government could only provide succour within limited resources if saying government cannot cater for all their losses. He said that Governor Ahmed's administration had tried to alleviate the sufferings of disaster victis when he approved fund for purchase of relief materials that were distributed to the victims, adding that government had been able to provide financial support for about 80 of the fire disaster victims and that others would be taken care of in the next one month. The special assistant on emergency and relief services said people should be conscious of disaster management and thus, should be armed with preventive measures to mitigate disaster. "We are on the radio and TV to enlighten the public to desist from all forms of activities that may cause fire disaster during the dry season like bush burning, keeping of fuel at residential buildings, wrong electrical connections. "Also, during rainy season, we advise the people to desist from dumping refuse in waterways as flood disaster may occur with this activity. On deforestation, people should know that the more they engage in cutting of trees in the farms, the more we expose ourselves to wind break disaster", he said. The governor's aide, who said the problem was both about attitudinal and poverty, called on people to give electrical works to experts and qualified professionals. On the allegation that the relief fund given to occupants of a storey building that was engulfed by fire at Sofoluwe Street, Murtala Mohammed, way was described as meagre, Alhaji Abdullahi said Ologunde had already been invited and that the sum of N40,000 given during public presentation was just to cushion the effect of the incident on them and assured that another programme was in the pipeline in February, where additional fund would be given to make up N100,000.