HomePoliticsSenator Oduah Gives Aid To Onitsha Flood Victims

Senator Oduah Gives Aid To Onitsha Flood Victims

Victims of gully erosion at Obeleagu and Nkisi-Aroli streets as well as victims of flood disaster at Bida Road in Onitsha, Anambra State have received succour from the senator representing Anambra North senatorial zone, Senator Stella Adaeze Oduah.

The gully erosion destroyed 20 houses, rendering many families homeless while the flood disaster also destroyed houses, household property, shops and food items. The two incidents have made life very difficult for the victims.

But Senator Oduah was reported to have immediately come to the people’s aid by providing the victims with some food items such as bags of rice, cartons of noodles, tubers of yam and cash.

Cash gifts given to each family ranged from ₦5, 000 to ₦10,000. The money, it was gathered, was to help the victims cushion the effect of the disasters.

At Bida Street, 28 affected families and shop owners got two bags of rice, one carton of noodles, four tubers of yam and N10, 000 cash each. And at Obeleagu and Nkisi-Aroli streets, about 100 victims received a bag of rice, two tubers of yam, a carton of noodle and N5, 000 cash each.

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Senator Oduah, in her message to the victims, expressed concern over their condition at this critical time of Coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world. She said when she heard about the two disasters in her constituency, she had sleepless nights, which prompted her to provide the items.

“I was touched when I heard about the disasters which happened within a short time. When my workers called to inform me about the incidents, I didn’t know that it was devastating like this until I read the details in The Sun Newspapers. I did not sleep after reading the newspaper, how the victims narrated their conditions, suffering and hardship. Losing their homes and property.

“So, I immediately sent my constituency workers to do further investigations to know how many people that were affected and their locations, because I learnt that some of the victims had been relocated to other places in the town. I’m doing this not because I will solve all their problems but to assist in my own little way to reduce their suffering,” she stated.

The Director of Mobilization to Senator Oduah, Mr Noel Udeoji who with other workers distributed the items to the victims, said that the distribution was successful because they went directly to the victims and not through the politicians.

“We distributed the items to the victims at No. 92, 94, 96, 98 and 100, Bida Road for the flood disaster while we gathered the victims of gully erosion at St. Mary’s Catholic Church Inland Town, Onitsha where the priest in charge assisted us in distribution and to identify the victims.

“Senator Oduah, before now, had also distributed 30,000 bags of rice, 60,000 tubers of yam and 25,000 cartons of noodles to the widows, poor and the less privileged to cushion the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic in the zone. They were distributed across the seven local government areas that make up the senatorial zone in various Catholic churches, Anglican churches and Pentecostal churches, all aimed at putting smiles ion their faces,” Udeoji stated.

The Parish Priest of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Inland Town, Onitsha, Rev. Fr. Johnbosco Okafor where the victims of gully erosion gathered to receive the items, commended Senator Oduah for her magnanimity in helping the poor, widows and the less privileged in the society.

“She is using her God-given wealth and position to help the poor and indigent in the society. We had just distributed the palliatives she brought to cushion the effect of Coronavirus before this disaster occurred, and she came back again to give succour to the victims. We are grateful to her because she is not the only wealthy person or elected leader among us.

“Princess Oduah has a heart of giving to the people, and God loves a cheerful giver. The remarkable thing about her gifts is that she doesn’t look at where you are coming from, or the church you go to. At today’s distribution exercise, people from Osun, Ogun, Ebonyi, Enugu Kano, Cross River as well as people from different church denominations benefited from her gesture,” Rev. Fr. Okafor stated.

One of the victims of the gully erosion, Mr Junior Adekunle thanked the senator for wiping the tears of the victims, and giving them a new life to feed their families.

“She doesn’t discriminate in giving to the poor. I’m from Osun State, but our building was affected by the gully erosion. So they came to write our names but to my greatest surprise today, we were given cash and some food items. God will continue to bless her in all her endeavours,” Adekunle said.

Another victim, Mrs Chidimma Sanni, from Kano State, said though she had relocated to another place after the house where they lived collapsed, she had been finding it difficult to feed the family. She expressed gratitude to the Senator for the gift items, which had provided her family some succour.

“We are sharing apartment with somebody and food has been my major problem and today we did not only receive food but also received cash. We thank her for remembering us and God will continue to remember her too” Sanni stated.

A victim of the flooding, Mr Gabriel Odoh from Enugu State, who was overwhelmed when he received food items and cash of N10, 000, could not hide his feelings. He started singing praises to God to express his joy as his families joined him to express appreciation to Senator Oduah.

“We are very grateful to Princess Oduah because she was the only person that came to our aid. God will bless her and her family,” Odoh said.

A printer and publisher at 98, Bida Road, Mr. Sunday Unogu whose computers and books were destroyed by the flood, said the magnitude of destruction could not be quantified. But he expressed joy at the succour provided by the senator, noting that she was the first person to wipe the victims’ tears.

 

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