Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Alhaji Muhammed Sani Sidi on Monday received relief items worth N104 million (52 million yen) from the government and people of Japan for victims of flooding in the three states of Benue, Kogi and Rivers states.
The items included 50 water purifiers, 200 tents, and 7,000 blankets worth approximately 52 million yen (N104 million).
At the ceremony, which took place at the cargo terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Sani-Sidi disclosed that between June and October this year, Nigeria experienced unprecedented floods which affected about 7.7 million people and displaced 2.1 million others. While 363 people lost their lives.
While expressing gratitude to the Japanese government over the gesture , Sani-Sidi gave the assurance that it will go a long way in ameliorating the suffering of flood victims. The items he said will be distributed transparently and that a staff of JICA will accompany NEMA officials during distribution.
Following this he said, the Federal Government made an international request for assistance and it was in response to that request that Japan through JICA then decided to provide emergency assistance from a humanitarian point of view for the victims as well as in light of friendly relations between Japan and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Chief Representative of JICA (the Japanese Humanitarian Agency) in Nigeria Mr. Tetsuo Seki while handing over the items, commended the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for their work in managing the disaster, and their effective coordination of the response plan and further assured that his country will always assist in providing both emergency relief and medium to long term reconstruction and rehabilitation process.
The JICA representative said his agency and NEMA has been working closely to provide needed training for Nigerians. This collaboration has led to trainings of NEMA staff in Japan on: Capacity Development for Flood Risk Management with Integrated Flood Analysis System in July this year, and the Development of comprehensive assistance systems for victims in 2007. There is currently on-going discussion on capacity building of NEMA staff in the area of disaster preparedness, he added.
Also speaking, Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, Mr. Ryuichi Shoji lamented that the flood led to the death of 363 people. He also disclosed that his country was working on reconstruction from the devastating Great East Japan Earthquake of last year, which resulted in tremendous damage and many lives were lost.
I hope that the relief supplies will reach the flood victims swiftly and will ease the pain of the victims suffering. We want to continuously work together with the Government of Nigeria and international actors for the early recovery and reconstruction of the affected states.
$15m Ibori Bribe Saga: EFCC Asks Court To Dismiss Intervener’s Application
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Monday, November 19, 2012 asked Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja to strike out the application by one Oyelakan Bayode seeking to be named as a party in the $15 million Ibori bribe forfeiture hearings.
At the resumed hearing of the case, counsel to EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, said Bayode has not disclosed any interest other than merely saying he is a Nigerian citizen and a beneficial owner of the said money. “My Lord, that is a mere assertion, he is not even from Delta State but a refrigerator repairer from Lagos, residing at Alagbado in Lagos state.
“When a third party seeks to be joined in a case, he needs to show that he is an interested party in the subject matter, in this case my Lord, he has not done so.” Jacobs stated.
He averred that when seen from the point of view of the order by Justice Kolawole asking interested party to come and claim ownership of the fund, the intervener applicant was merely asking to manage the fund.
The same point was echoed by Charles Ajuyah , SAN, counsel to Delta State Government who told the court to dismiss the application as the intervener‘s purpose was to manage the fund and not claiming ownership. “That is not what the court is interested in, we (Delta State) it is our own and we know how to manage it,”Ajuyah stated.
The case has been adjourned to Friday, November 23, 2012 for ruling on the application.
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