Commission Donates Relief Materials To 2022 Flood Survivors 

Survivors of the 2022 flood in Cross River State, southern Nigeria, have received relief materials from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC.

The Chief Executive Officer of the commission, Mr. Gbenga Komolafe during a presentation of the items to the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, said that the donation was part of its social responsibility, which was also a directive of the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.

Komolafe, who was represented by Mr. Anthony Ukpo, a member of the commission, explained that the target was to support the efforts of other government agencies to provide relief to those affected by the flood in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Imo.

He said, “we set up a committee at the commission to look into communities that were impacted by the flood so we could offer some relief and we would have undertaken this venture during the yuletide, but due to logistics, we could not achieve this at the time.

“We have brought this little relief such as bags of rice, mattresses, blankets, vegetable oil and a number of other things. We have done this in Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and now in Cross River State. We are not really going to places where we have operations. We are going to only four states and these are Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Imo,” he stated.

Further he said, “the intention of President Muhammadu Buhari is to touch the lives of Nigerians irrespective of political ties, irrespective of operational areas. As much as you are affected by the flood, it is the responsibility of government to provide some relief. So, that was the reason for the collaboration with SEMA to offer some relief.”

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Flagging off the distribution of the donated materials was the deputy governor of Cross River State, Professor Ivara Esu, who expressed appreciation to the commission for extending the gesture to flood survivors in the state.

Esu said, “this commission is one of the agencies that has promptly responded to the several appeals made by the State Emergency Management Agency on behalf of those affected by the 2022 flood and we have the items, which we will be distributing to the survivors here.”

Continuing, the deputy governor said, “we are very grateful for these items. Some others have not yet responded and it would be good if others respond too to help those affected across 97communities in 14 local government areas out of 18 and this is huge.’

He charged the chairmen of the affected local government areas to be sensitive to the plight of the citizens.

“Of the 14 local government areas affected, we have only the chairman of Etung present and the others sent representatives. It shows a lack of concern and it is not good enough. The governor would not behave the way they have and I am charging them to be more responsive to the plight of the people,” the Deputy Governor added.

Earlier, the Director General of the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Princewill Ayim explained that the items would be distributed to the most affected people in Ogoja, Obubra, Biase and Etung local government areas.

Ayim hinted that the 2022 flood affected more than 97 communities, destroyed 927 houses and impacted 19,000 hectares of farm and residential lands, while 39,730 persons lost their lives.

Confidence Okwuchi