NEMA kick-starts airlifting Of relief materials for Rivers, Bayelsa flood victims

From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has kick-started the airlifting of relief materials for residents of  Rivers and Bayelsa States in Benin, the Edo state capital.

Addressing newsmen at the Benin Airport during the exercise, NEMA Head of Benin Operation Office, Dahiru Yusuf, said the items were received from the aircraft belonging to the Nigerian Airforce 107 Air Maritime Group, Benin City.

He said the relief materials for Bayelsa and River Sates flood victims was brought to NEMA operation office in Benin for airlifting to two states due to inaccessible road occasioned by the flood.

Yusuf, who said the airlifting was done in collaboration with the Nigerian Airforce, explained that the items are intact and in good condition.

“The materials are being loaded into the C130 aircraft at the Benin Airport for onward delivery to  PortHarcourt, where some of the items will be moved by a chopper to Bayelsa State”.

“The Items would be received in PortHarcourt by NEMA South South Zonal office and State Emergency Management Agencies staff of Rivers and Bayelsa states for distribution to  persons affected by the 2022 flood disaster”.

According to him, relief items were distributed by the federal government  to cushion the impact of the flood on affected persons  in Bayelsa and River States.

Meanwhile, he also disclosed that the agency has also received the relief items for Edo flood victims.