The Lions Club International, District 404A2 Nigeria, on Sunday donated food items to victims of flood in Lokoja and Kotonkarfe Local Government Areas of Kogi.
Speaking to newsmen at the IDP camp Adankolo, Lokoja, Mr Jide Bello, the Club’s District Governor, Abuja, said, ”The Lion club is a charity organisation that is always there to help where there is need”.
Bello said they were in Kogi to distribute food items and clothing materials to the displaced indigenes of the state.
”We heard about the flood disaster that submerged their homes and we made our enquiry to get the statistics of their numbers in various IDP camps in Lokoja and Kotonkarfe.
”We are able to identify four camps, which are Kotonkarfe, Serki-Noma, Adankolo and Gadumo.
”So, we have brought food and other relief items to share and sympathise with them, and to say ‘where there is need there is always a lion’.
”On the whole, based on our statistics, we have reached out to over 3,000 victims including males and females in Kogi.
”We give Kogi a priority because it is worst-hit by the flood disaster. Next week by God’s grace, we shall be visiting Rivers, Balyesa, Anambra and Ebonyi states,” he said.
He disclosed that the distributed items were donated by people, fellow lions, and the Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF) Abuja, which worth over N10 million.
He commended the IDP camps’ coordinators for ensuring proper coordination at the camps without chaos.
Items donated included rice, garri, tomatoes, sugar, milk, maggi, salt, oil, pepper, clothes, shoes, bags, antiseptics, among others.
Also speaking, Dr Ozi OKonofua, the club’s District Committee Chairperson for Site Preservation and Awareness, enjoined government at all levels to be more prepared for the recurrent flood disaster.
He expressed the club’s dissatisfaction with the humanitarian aspect of the camps visited, saying there was no good sanitary condition which could result in outbreak of diseases.
He urged governments to look at the plight of the victims to finding a lasting solution through collaborations with the club and other critical stakeholders to tackle the menace.
Some of the beneficiaries, Mrs Teni Isa, Hauwa Suna and Mrs Mary Sunday thanked the club for alleviating their suffering and pray God to bless them.
”In fact, I am so happy because we never expected that such kind of items will come. May God bless them,” Isa said.
The lions club members had earlier paid a courtesy visit to the palace of Ohimegye Igu of Koton-karfe, HRM Alhaji Abdulrazak Isakoto.
In his remarks, Isakoto appreciated the club for their visit, saying he was overwhelmed for the gesture toward his people.
The traditional ruler said the extent of destruction by the flood disaster in the area and all over was massive and beyond comprehension.
”Our place is always flooded and badly-hit because our people settled along the banks of River Niger and Benue.
”I want to, on behalf of the Traditional Council of Lokoja and Kotonkarfe. as the Chairman, I say thank you for your donations, we pray that God will bless you,” the royal father said.
