The Federal Government has donated a brand-new fire truck and humanitarian relief materials to Cross River State to strengthen emergency response and support households affected by recent fire outbreaks and flooding.
The intervention, facilitated through the South-South Development Commission, was handed over to the state government in Calabar, with Deputy Governor Peter Odey receiving the items on behalf of Governor Bassey Edet Otu.
The donation is part of the South-South Development Commission’s intervention to address humanitarian and environmental challenges in the region.
The fire truck is expected to strengthen firefighting operations and improve emergency response, particularly in Calabar and Odukpani, while the relief materials are meant to assist households affected by recent disasters.
Receiving the items on behalf of the state government, Deputy Governor Peter Odey commended President Bola Tinubu and the SSDC for the intervention, describing it as a demonstration of the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing the humanitarian and environmental challenges confronting the South-South region.
The Executive Director of Human Capital Development and Social Services, Preye Aganaba, represented the Commission’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Usoro Akpabio.
Aganaba said Cross River was chosen as the starting point for the intervention because of the environmental challenges confronting the state.
The Director-General of the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, Efa Nyong, said the donation followed an assessment of communities and households affected by fire outbreaks and flooding.
Beyond the donation, the Commission and CR-SEMA have also commenced joint drainage clearance and flood-mitigation exercises in parts of Calabar, beginning with Kasuk Qua Clan Two.
For households affected by the disasters, the relief materials provide support towards recovery.
The Commission says the intervention will extend beyond Cross River as it works towards strengthening emergency response and addressing humanitarian needs across the South-South region.
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(Editor: Ada Ononye)
