From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
There is a brewing controversy over the relief materials donated by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to Bayelsa State.
While NEMA stated that it has donated food and non-food items to the state, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said it has only received non-food items.
NEMA through its South- South zonal coordinator, Mr Godwin Tepikor had on Thursday announced that it has with the help of the Nigerian Airforce led by Group Capt Abdulafiz Opaleye, Commander 115 SOG, Port Harcourt airlifted relief materials for flood victims in Bayelsa State.
According to him the food items received at the helipad in Igbogene were 1,400 bags of 10kg rice, 1,400 bags of 10 kg beans, 1,400 bags of 10kg maize and 75 20kg bags of salt . The non-food items listed were 8,000 pieces of nylon mats, 1,000 pieces of mosquito notes and 600 cartons of bath soap.
Tepikor had explained that it was directed by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management to provide relief materials and give succour to flood victims in the state
The secretary of SEMA, Mr Angos Dide who was said to have received the items on behalf of Bayelsa State Government had commended the Federal Government for coming to their aid and assured that NEMA and SEMA will go to the areas mostly affected to distribute the materials.
However the Chairman of SEMA in Bayelsa State, Hon Walaman Samuel Igrubia has declared that Bayelsa State has not received any food items from NEMA.
According to him what the state government has received are non- food items which according to him were airlifted from Port Harcourt to Bayelsa.
“On Wednesday we received 598 cartons of bathing soap, five bags of mosquito treated nets, 9 bales of guinea brocade wrapper. On Thursday we received 32 bales of guinea brocade. Each is by 60. In total we have 41 bales by 60. We also got four bags of men’s wear which has 250 in each bag making it 1000 men’s wears. For women we got five bags of wears and each bag contained 200 making it a thousand women’s wears. We also have two bags containing 500 each of children’s clothes making it 1000 wears for the children. We have also received ten bags of mosquito treated nets in addition to the five brought earlier. So we have 15 bags of treated mosquito nets with 50 in each bag making it 750 nets. This is what we have received,” he said.
Igrubia, who wondered why NEMA would make non- food items a priority, insisted that the state government is unimpressed with the way the Federal Government is managing the humanitarian crisis in the state.