By Okioma Aherokhe, Yenagoa
The Tompolo Foundation has donated relief items worth N150 million to flood victims in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States.
President of the foundation, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo, said the gesture was part of efforts to assuage the plights of persons affected by the recent devastating flood.
The relief materials include 2,400 bags of rice, 100 bags of beans, 200 bags of garri, 5,000 tubers of yam, 200 kegs of palm oil, 600 kegs of groundnut oil and 2,000 cartons of noodles.
Handing over the relief items to representatives of the impacted areas in Warri, Delta State on Monday, the executive secretary of the foundation, Dr. Paul Bebenimibo, said that the foundation has been in the business of rendering assistance to the “less privileged” since the previous flood in 2012.
“We have good tidings from the President and Chairman of Tompolo Foundation. It’s no longer news that our country was greeted with massive floods and the impact was overwhelming. People have been in serious disarray in Bayelsa State, Rivers State and Delta State.
“The Tompolo Foundation is established to cater for the less privileged. We have been on this mission for about ten years. Specifically, sometime in 2012, a similar flood came and the foundation organized to provide palliatives for the people. And this year, we have come again to do our bit.
“I want to inform you that the President and Chairman of Tompolo Foundation has approved a palliative worth N150 million to distribute to the good people of Bayelsa State, Rivers State and Delta State.
“That’s why I had earlier recognized the people that are representing these states and we are here to hand over the items to the beneficiaries so that they can move them to their destinations and distribute them to the affected people,” he said/
Bebenimibo listed the Local Government Areas (LGAs) to benefit from the palliatives to include Ahoada West and East LGAs in Rivers state; Burutu, Bomadi, Patani LGAs, as well as impacted communities across Isoko, Urhobo and Ndokwa nations in Delta state; and seven affected council areas in Bayelsa state.
He noted that Bayelsa, as one of the most highly impacted States in the country, will get 600 bags of rice.
Representative of Bayelsa state and member representing constituency IV, Southern Ijaw LGA, Chief (Hon.) MacDonald Igbadiwei, thanked the foundation for coming to the aid of victims in his state.
He charged other well-meaning Nigerians to emulate the gesture.