The Eze Ekpeye Logbo In-Council has received relief materials for flood victims in Ahoada East and Ahoada West local government areas of Rivers State for distribution across internally displaced persons (IDP) centres located in Ekpeye speaking communities.
The items brought by the Niger Delta Petroleum Resources Limited (NdPR) include 100 bags of rice (50kg), 100 set of mattresses,100 pilos,100 cartons of indomie, 10 cartons of milo, 10 cartons of peak milk, 100 blankets and 3 bags of sugar.
Receiving the items on behalf of the Council at Ekpeye Council House in Ahoada Town on Tuesday, the Regent of Ekpeye and Nye Udu Igbu Upata III, HRM Nye Udu Felix Enene Otuwarikpo, Ph.D thanked the company for the kind gesture.
Flanked by other Ezes, Nye Udu Otuwarikpo assured the company of continuous support and good relationship, charged the Flood Committee headed by High Chief ThankGod Okedike to work out modalities on how to distribute the relief materials with “utmost sense of responsibility.”
He however frowned at the attitude of governments and politicians who only come to Ekpeye land to seek for votes but “shy away from assisting Ekpeye in times of need. The time has come for government at all levels to rethink their perception of Ekpeye because our relevance is not just casting of votes. We are Nigerians and must be treated as equal partners.”
Nye Udu Otuwarikpo queried why inspite of the significant contribution Ekpeye make to the national revenue base, “we are still neglected and treated disdainfully. Our people will not continue to tolerate the absurd arrangement.”
While presenting the relief items, NDPR’s Community Affairs Manager, Alhaji Buba Umar said the gesture was in line with the company’s corporate social responsibility to ensure that flood victims in its area of operations were given the necessary support to alleviate their plights.
Okedike, however, assured that the distribution process will be transparent as the committee has already worked out the modalities on how the IDPs will be reached.
He further thanked members of the Eze Ekpeye Logbo In-Council for the opportunity given the committee members to serve, stressing their readiness to deliver the items to the victims of flooding in the Ekpeye and that only the affected victims would benefit as spelt out on the distribution list.
Comrade Oyagiri Monday
Special Assistant on Media
04/12/2019
