Senate intervenes on Ebonyi Windstorm calamity

Senate unanimously on Wednesday supported Senator Sam Egwu representing Ebonyi North who raised a motion in plenary on destruction of lives and property in Ebonyi State by Windstorm.
The Senate is concerned about the recent calamity suffered by several communities in Ebonyi state as a result of the invasion of highly destructive windstorm resulting in the loss of lives and property.
nassnewsng.com recalls that on the 24th day of April, 2018, over four hundred houses including residences, churches and schools were blown away by the windstorm at Ukwagba, Okposhi Eshi, Ekwashi, Iboko Amagu communities in Ohaukwu, Izzi and Abakaliki Local Government Areas of Ebonyi State.
The Senate worried that thousands of citizens, including women and children have been rendered homeless, while several worship places and schools have been shut down with hundreds of school children now out of school because of this disaster, and the surprised that the windstorm was never predicted by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency or any other relevant government agency so that the people can be warned to take precautionary measure to minimize the disastrous effects of such natural disaster. The Senate is concerned that despite the humanitarian crisis caused by this natural disaster, no agency of the Federal government including NEMA has come to the aid of the victims, either by way of providing them with relief materials or by helping them rebuild the structures that were destroyed by windstorm. The Senate resolves to call on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to immediately intervene through provision of relief materials to the victims of the natural disaster in Ebonyi and Enugu state and to help them in rebuilding their homes, worship places and school, to call on the Nigeria Meteorological Agency and other relevant government agencies to be more proactive in predicting and giving early warning signals of natural disasters so that the people can be warned and precautionary measures taken to minimize the disastrous effect of such disaster and to mandate the committee on environment to visit the affected community for on the spot assessment of the damages.