Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — As part of its corporate social responsibility, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, has donated relief materials to victims of last year’s flood disaster that submerged a larger part of Bayelsa State, displacing over 200,000 residents.
The relief materials include mattresses, beddings, toiletries, detergents, bottled water, bags of rice, noodles and other assorted food items.
Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, who donated the relief materials, said that the agency made the intervention to assist the rehabilitation of the people impacted by the flood disaster.
Peterside while presenting the materials to the Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, disclosed that NIMASA has intervened in 20 states affected by the disaster.
Represented by NIMASA Assistant Director, Procurement, Kelvin Ogbuanu, Peterside urged the emergency agency to ensure that the materials were given to the victims who are in its records.
“NIMASA under the leadership of Peterside has developed a Corporate Social Responsibility’ policy by setting up a committee to work out a template for implementation.
“We will continue to provide support for victims of natural and man-made disasters across Nigeria. This we will do in compliance with the Federal Government’s directive for all government organizations to use their powers and resources to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians affected by flood and other disasters.”
Receiving the items, the Director-General of Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency, Maj. Zedekiah Isu commended NIMASA for the gesture and assured that the items will be distributed among flood victims across the eight local government areas of the state.
Isu expressed gratitude to NIMASA for identifying with the victims and urged the agency to prepare to assist the state ahead of the projected flood this year.