Abia:NEMA Distributes Relief Materials to Victims of Communal Conflicts

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has commenced the distribution of relief materials to communities affected by communal conflicts in Bende and Ohafia Local Government Areas of Abia State.
The relief items were officially handed over to the Abia State Government through the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) during a brief ceremony held in Umuahia on Thursday.
NEMA’s Director-General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, who was represented by Mr. Nnamdi Igwe, Head of Operations at the NEMA Owerri Office, stated that the gesture underscores the Federal Government’s concern for citizens affected by the crises.
She explained that the relief materials are intended to cushion the impact of the communal conflicts on the affected communities.
Umar also urged the communities to embrace peaceful coexistence, emphasizing that no meaningful development can take place in an atmosphere of conflict.
The Executive Secretary of SEMA, Dr. Sunday Jackson, disclosed that properties worth millions of naira were destroyed during the clashes.
He noted that the crises involved the Okon-Aku community in Ohafia LGA and the Umuobasi community in Bende LGA.
According to him, SEMA, in collaboration with NEMA, activated its emergency response team and promptly conducted on-the-spot assessments in the affected areas.
Jackson commended the NEMA Director-General for approving the relief materials and ensuring their timely delivery to the victims.
He also praised the Deputy Governor, Ikechukwu Emetu, for his role in facilitating intervention efforts, as well as Governor Alex Otti for providing an enabling environment for effective response.
Jackson assured that SEMA, in partnership with NEMA, would monitor the distribution process to ensure that the items reach the intended beneficiaries.
Declaring the distribution exercise open, the Deputy Governor—represented by Mr. Ndubuisi Ume, Senior Special Adviser on General Duties and Due Process—expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for its support.
In response, a representative of the Umuobasi community, Dr. Kenneth Anyalechi, thanked both the Federal and State Governments for their assistance and assured that the items would be distributed equitably.
The food and non-food relief materials distributed include 300 bags of 25-kilogramme parboiled rice, 150 cartons of spaghetti, and 30 cartons of vegetable oil.
Other items include 30 cartons of seasoning cubes, 30 bags of iodized salt, and 300 bags of 50-kilogramme cement.