The Ondo State Government says it has distributed relief materials to victims of recent flooding in Ilaje Local Government area and other affected communities in the state.
Items distributed to “cushion” the impact of the disaster include four-litre of vegetable oil, spaghetti, macaroni, bag of rice, blanket.
Dr Olayide Adelami, the Deputy Governor and the Chairman of Ondo State Emergency Management Agency (ODSEMA), delivered the items to the victims at Ilaje Local Government secretariat, Igbokoda, on Tuesday.
Represented by the ODSEMA secretary, Mr Richard Aina, the deputy governor assured the victims that the government was committed to their welfare and would continue to provide necessary support.
Thefrontrank reports that flooding has intensified in several parts of the state following sustained rainfall, leaving homes and businesses submerged and forcing some residents to relocate.
However, some victims lamented the distribution of rice and other food palliatives, instead of concrete arrangement to support their properties destroyed by the flood.
They cited inadequacy, poor logistics, and alleged diversion by some state government officials as the major challenges.
Some of the victims alleged that non-affected individuals or political loyalists receive supplies while genuine victims get nothing.
Many displaced or impacted households complained that the portions of rice given per family are too small to sustain them through prolonged displacement.
Some leaders of the affected communities lamented that palliatives were sometimes shared merely for media coverage and photo ops rather than providing meaningful, long-term relief.
Some flood victims, however, said what they need is a deliberate government intervention to clear blocked waterways and permanently address the perennial flooding affecting their communities and not relief materials.
Victims blamed the state government’s lack of proactive measures to address the worsening flooding across affected communities in the state.
They argued that the distribution of relief materials, which is often politicised and diverted, does not address the root causes of the recurring floods.
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