Edo State Government has donated building materials and palliatives to victims of fire disasters in Esan-West and Ovia North-East Local Government Areas.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony in Benin City, the Managing Director of Edo State Emergency
Management Agency (EDOSEMA), Mrs. Helen I. Obayuwana, appreciated the State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, for the swift distribution of relief materials to victims of the fire incidents.
The relief materials distributed by EDOSEMA included cement, nails, wood, roofing sheets and food
items such as noodles, sachet tomatoes, vegetable oil, beans and rice.
Recall that fire outbreaks occurred in Esan West and Ovia North East local Government Areas of Edo State in December 2022, where several stores were severely burnt and properties worth millions of naira were lost. The State Government had responded swiftly by visiting the sites to ascertain the level of damage caused by the inferno and had assured the victims of Government’s support to revive their businesses and rebuild their properties.
Mrs. Obayuwana further noted that a similar gesture by the State Government had eased the sufferings of residents in Ovia North East, Ovia South West, Esan South East, Etsako Central and other areas where relief materials have been distributed to flood victims, adding that victims of fire incidents at Lagos Street and Evbareke Market had also been provided succour by the State Government.
The EDOSEMA boss explained that the Governor also paid the medical bills of the fire victims while
cash gifts had equally been disbursed to the victims.
Also speaking during the presentation ceremony, the Permanent Secretary of Special Duties and Rapid Response, Mr. Gilbert Egwakhide, maintained that the responsibility of Government is to cater for the welfare and wellbeing of the residents in the State, adding that these incidents occurred almost at the same time.
He recalled how a tanker carrying diesel fell in Ekpoma which caused the fire outbreak behind Esan West Local Government Secretariat while the incident at Aburimen Street occurred on Christmas day last year.
After the presentation, the Director of Socials, Ovia North East LGA, Mr. Monday Unemhin, appreciated the Governor for his kind gesture towards the people of Owan Community in the LGA.
Similarly, Mrs. Jennifer Iyare, a victim of the fire incident at Aburime Street, also thanked the Governor
for the relief materials that were given to her and her landlady, who is also a widow. She appreciated
the Governor for helping her land lady to rebuild her house.
