Date: 2012-01-24

Recently, there were a number of disasters in Kwara State ranging from fire outbreak to rainstorm and flooding at different areas. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) intervened but the victims claimed government could do better than it had done. Abiola Azeez reports. FOR Jamiu Olalekan Alhassan, a father of two, who trades in phone accessories and recharge cards at Old Ago market, Ilorin in Kwara State, with the early morning inferno which razed down his shop, life no longer has any meaning to him after the incident. He had actually raised about N100, 000 after much pleadings, from some family members to enable him start a trade. So, he got a shop in the market and stocked the shop with products to sell, while using what was left of the money to get the services of an electrician-apprentice to install electricity in the shop. Unfortunately, it was the wrong electrical connection that allegedly caused the inferno that razed the shop and the whole investment went down the drain. He thought of the democratic experiment being practiced in the country which is about democracy of the people by the people and for the people. Thus, he and other traders affected in the market sent a Save Our Soul message to the state government to assist cushion the effect on them. For occupants of a storey building at Sofoluwe Street, along Murtala Mohammed way in Ilorin, their dreams crumbled as their rooms went up in flames one evening last December when they were out in search of means of livelihood. One of the occupants of the building is the Kwara State secretary of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Michael Ologunde, who, along with the other tenants, said they lost valuables worth millions of naira. A month after he and others in his category had been squatting with neighbours around; a form of succour came their way as the state government provided them with a sum of N40, 000 each with the promise to make up the sum of money to N100, 000. However, the victims of the burnt storey building expressed their displeasure over the relief fund given to them by both the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA). Spokesperson of the victims, Michael Ologunde, said the N40, 000 given to each of the eight affected families and the N100, 000 given to the landlord of the affected building was ridiculous. Ologunde, said the relief fund was below their expectation considering the items lost by the occupants, which he said was in the range of millions of naira. He said the victims had expected a substantial amount of money capable of acquiring working tools to help them pick up the pieces of their lives once again. He also said that the victims were looking forward to secure another accommodation from the government agencies, saying they were still squatting with some people since the fire disaster in December last year. Ologunde, who said he lost properties worth N10 million in the inferno, urged the government to have a rethink on the issue and reconsider what should be given to them. "We are citizens of Kwara State and we are appealing to people with humanitarian feelings to come to our assistance. They should not allow us to die like chickens. We've not been able to find our footing since, as we are still squatting with neighbours around", he said. However, in a chat with the Special Assistant to Kwara State governor on Emergency and Relief services, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi, he said "ours is to provide succor and relief fund for the victims as we can't cater for all their requests or needs. Government's effort is to show humanitarian feelings, concern and determination to assist our people and not just to fold our arms while the masses wallow in abject sufferings. "Since inception of this present administration, most of the disaster victims had been adequately taken care of. For example, in the last four months, the sum of N5 million was released to purchase relief materials for victims of rainstorm and these were distributed to all the affected victims in Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Ilorin South, Oyun, Ifelodun and Asa local government areas of the state. "In November, N4 million was released by Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed's government to provide succour for 55 victims of fire disaster in the state with victims collecting various sums according to the extent of loss of each victim. The victims of fire disaster at Sofoluwe Street, Murtala Mohammed way were among the beneficiaries," he said. Alhaji Abdullahi, who said Ologunde had already been invited and that the sum of N40, 000 given during the public presentation was just to cushion the effect of the incident on them, assured that another programme was in the pipeline, in February, where additional fund would be given to make up the sum of N100, 000,. He said the government could only provide succour within the limited resources at its disposal, saying government could not cater for all their losses. Alhaji Abdullahi, who said his assumption of office in July last year coincided with the period of heavy downpour in the state, added that the state recorded about 180 rainstorm victims. He said Governor Ahmed's administration tried to alleviate their sufferings when he approved fund for purchase of relief materials that was distributed to the victims. The governor's aide also said that 210 fire disaster victims had been recorded since he assumed office, adding that the government had been able to provide financial support for about 80 of them and that others would be taken care of in the next one month. On the whole, he said about N10 million had been used to purchase relief materials coupled with the distribution of cash to the victims of various disasters in the state. The special assistant on Emergency and Relief Services said people should be conscious of disaster management and thus, be armed with preventive measures to mitigate disaster. "We are on radio and TV to enlighten the general public to desist from all forms of activities that may cause fire disaster during the dry season e.g. bush burning, keeping of fuel at residential buildings, wrong electrical connections. "Also, during rainy season, we advise the people to desist from dumping refuse along water ways as flood disaster may occur with this activity. On deforestation, people should know that the more they engage in felling of trees, the more we expose ourselves to wind storm disasters," he said. The governor's aide, who said the problem is both attitudinal and as a result of poverty, called on people to give electrical works to experts and qualified professionals, "those who have adequate knowledge about electrical installation".