Ekiti State Government, has distributed a staggering sum of N20 million to fire and raintorm victims in the state, warning those in the habit of incessant and reckless bush burning to refrain and be cautious of their actions in the coming dry season.
The government lamented that most of the emergency cases causing collosssal losses of lives and property are human-induced, urging the residents to be proactive in taking actions that could avert some of these incidences for the safety of all.
The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, said this in Ado Ekiti, on Thursday, while flagging off the distribution of cash grants worth N20 million to 46 victims of fire and rainstorm disasters in the state.
Mrs Afuye assured the victims that Governor Oyebanji would continually respond positively to their cries to cushion the effect of disasters on them, insisting that the current government is more desirous of prevention, rather than taking palliative actions to put a soothing balm on their pains.
Applauding Governor Oyebanji’s strides to relaunch some of those who lost their homes and businesses back to reckoning, Mrs Afuye, revealed that the governor had earlier approved a sum of N24.5 million to victims of rainstorm in Oke Ako Ekiti.
She appealed to those in the habit of building their structures across river valleys or waterways to desist , saying such actions would no longer be tolerated by government.
“If we are to rate the governors in terms of display of love for their citizens, Governor Oyebanji ranks best in the country. This money is not for you to go undertake family responsibilities or other extraneous things, but to relaunch your destroyed businesses and homes that got destroyed by fire or storm.
“The people we selected were carefully enumerated by the State Emergency Management Agency(SEMA) and those who have submitted their claims will soon benefit, it might be before the end of the year.
“Let me place on record that the present government under Governor Biodun Oyebanji is a progressive and forward looking one, favorably disposed to collaborating with any group or individual, most especially with the federal government that is equally committed to raising the standard of living of the people.
“I want to appeal to all of us to imbibe the culture of environmental preservation and avoid incessant bush burning during dry season, careless dropping of cigarette tips, storage of Prenium Motor Spirit within the house and always switch off electrical appliances when not in use in order to reduce future occurrence of this type of mishap”.
Addressing the beneficiaries, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Head of Operations in Ekiti/Ondo, Mr. Olanrewaju Kadiri, applauded the government for taking actions to mitigate disasters, rating Ekiti as having one of the best in terms of emergency managements and responses in the country.
“Since the advent of this administration, we have enjoyed good emergency management and responses that really complemented our works.
“If you check very well, we are having increasing cases of disasters. We had ransitorm in Oke Ako, fire disaster at Shasha market, flooding in various places, so we need to buckle up to be able to prevent some of these occurrences”.
Urging the victims to guard against actions that could trigger disaster situations, the Permanent Secretary, in charge of SEMA, Mr. Jide Borode, appreciated the government for speedily approving a sum of N20 million for the victims, saying this had further portrayed Oyebanji as a lover of the people.
The SEMA boss assured that those who had submitted their claims to the state government as victims would soon be attended to, warning the residents, particularly farmers to eschew reckless and unbridled bush burning as the state approaches dry season.
Present at the event were the Director General, Office of Communications and Community Engagements, Mrs Mary Oso Omotoso, the Permanent Secretary, office of the Deputy Governor, Mr Abayomi Opeyemi , officials of SEMA, NEMA and the beneficiaries.
Describing the gesture as highly commendable, some of the beneficiaries, Mr Ikulayo Oladapo , Abduwahab Abubakar, who is from Kaduna State, Martins-Awomoyi Onyekachi, Mrs Agnes Akomolafe, and Abdullahi Umaru from Sokoto State, said it will go a long way in alleviating their sufferings.
They thanked Governor Oyebanji for being people-centric and passionate in driving some of his policies tend toward making lives more flourishing and bearable for the citizens.