November 16, (THEWILL) – As part of its humanitarian services, the Stakeholders Alliance for Corporate Accountability (SACA), has commenced its contributions towards the welfare and medication of flood-affected victims across the state, beginning with Agbura Community in Yenagoa local government area of Bayelsa state.
Speaking to journalists, the Executive Director of SACA, Kingsley Ozegbe, posited that the organisation was aware of the trauma and hardship that the flood had caused and decided to join other well-meaning individuals and corporate organisations to empathise with victims of the devastating and rampaging flood, hence the need to distribute relief items and organise medical outreach to address their health challenges.
“The second phase will focus on post-flood response such as their losses and how to recover from it.”
He further disclosed that the exercise for the first phase will be extended to 9 communities within the state capital, Yenagoa and other local government areas.
“As we embark on this first phase, we are equally looking out for their recovery from the post-flood response and how they can return to their normal life.”
He disclosed that the programme is funded by Nigerian Agip oil company Limited, Misean Cara of Ireland and supported by St. Patrick’s Missionary Society and in collaboration with the Bayelsa state ministry of Health, Environment, Education, Agriculture and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence corps.
Our Correspondent reported that the relief materials were distributed among the five compounds that make up the Agbura Community, through the supervision of the Youth leaders and Community Development Chairman (CDC) without any rancour.
Also speaking, the Head of the Medical team, Dr Maria Ukpo Keme, said most of the cases they treated were illnesses associated with flood, such as malaria, skin diseases, stooling, vomiting and High blood pressure, which is linked to stress and anxiety of how to cope with life after the flood. She described the turnout as very impressive.
A beneficiary of the SACA kind gesture, Chief Rex Okpoto, Deputy paramount ruler of Agbura Community, said on behalf of the entire people and residents, expressed their unalloyed appreciation to SACA for complementing the assistance they have been rendering to them since they were displaced by the flood and urged others to extend their support to them.
On what assistance they have received from the Bayelsa state, he said, “We learned that the state government has been taking care of IDP camps at Ox bow lake, Igbogene, but for us here in Agbura, apart from NGOs like this we have not felt government impact throughout this period.”
