The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has donated relief materials to victims of flood, fire outbreak and communal crisis in Cross River.
Director General of NIMASA, Dr Dakuku Peterside, who presented the items to the victims on Wednesday in Calabar, said the succour was in line with the Corporate Social Responsibility policy of the agency.
Peterside, who was represented by Mrs Moronke Thomas, Director of Planning, Research and Data Management in the agency, said the internally displaced persons spread across Nigeria constitute an integral part of the society and the nation, thus have to be catered for.
According to him, the initiative was to alleviate the plight of the victims who have been displaced from their ancestral homes by natural and man-made disasters.
“We have realised that alot of people all over the country are displaced by flood, fire and even communal clashes. So we felt we should reach out to them as part of our corporate social responsibility.
“What we have done today is something that is replicated in all the geo-political zones in the country. We are even doing educational materials by giving out computers and text books to schools.
“Corporate Social Responsibility is very close to the heart of NIMASA and that is why we are here to show love and find ways of ameliorating their plight,” he said.
The DG told the beneficiaries that the Agency would always support the Federal Government’s drive in advancing gestures that would positively impact on the lives of the people and growth of the country.
Items donated include bags of rice, mattresses, palm and ground nut oil, yams, indomie noodles, bags of garri among others.
Speaking, the Director General of Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, Mr Princewill Ayim, commended NIMASA for their concern for the affected victims.
Ayim recalled that in May 2019, NIMASA had earlier donated food and non food items to victims of flood in the state, adding that the gesture was commendable.
“Between July and September 2019, 212 communities have been ravaged by flood and 4,370 houses were affected while 51,000 persons were displaced in the state.
“We also recorded 19 cases of fire outbreaks and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed,” he said.
He urged other corporate agencies to emulate NIMASA in alleviating the plight of displaced persons in the country.
Deputy Governor of the state, Prof. Ivara Esu, who was represented by Dr Alfred Mboto, Permanent Secretary on
Security in the state, lauded the donation of the items by NIMASA.
Mr Etim Okon-Ene, Leader of Bakassi Returnees, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, thanked the management of NIMASA for coming to their aid.
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