By Kelvin Obambon
Relief materials estimated to worth millions of naira have been delivered to Eto Mkpe Yellow Duke community in Akpabuyo local government area of Cross River State as part of intervention by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in distressed communities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
The Commissioner representing Cross River in the NDDC, Rt. Hon. Orok Duke, who personally delivered the relief materials to the community on Monday 3rd June 2024, disclosed that the items were part of the 2021/2022 palliatives distributed to flood affected communities in the Niger Delta area.
He explained that Cross River did not get its share of the palliatives as at then, hence when he assumed office, he took up the matter and subsequently secured approval for the release of the items to the state.
According to him, “it behoves on me to identify certain afflicted communities to try and augment and remedy some of their plights. We’ve been going around, and today we are in Eto Mkpe community to carry out just a simple assignment and observe a little ceremony of handing over some palliatives to the community. We have rice, indomie, slippers, mosquito nets, fishing nets and other essential items that can help jumpstart some of those afflicted.
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“We are just an interventionist agency. Ours is to try to assist. And we pray that in assisting, whatever little token we have to give will not and should not bring acrimony within the community. That is why we simply direct the gifts to the leadership of the community. So we pray in peace and harmony they would be able to allow the rest of the community to enjoy the little benefits coming from NDDC.”
Speaking further, the NDDC Commissioner said “Let the records show that as much as we want to help out, we will help out in tandem with what the state government is doing. We’ll try and strive as hard as possible to add value to what our governor, Senator Prince Bassey Otu is doing. Where we can we’ll do. Where he can augment he’ll augment. We work together. Let that one not be in doubt.”
He also stated that aside the relief materials, road projects would also be executed in the community when the Commission’s budget for the year gets approval of the National Assembly. He revealed that the projects had already been captured in the NDDC fiscal document.
Receiving the relief materials on behalf of Eto Mkpe community, the village head, His Highness Anthony Edem Nyong, thanked the NDDC Commissioner and prayed God’s blessings and protection upon him and the Commission.
Similarly, the youth leader, Mr Felix Nsa Effanga, said that the youths were happy over the relief materials delivered to the community by the state NDDC representative. He thanked Hon. Orok Duke for the ongoing solar light installation project and other projects that would be brought to Eto Mkpe community in the near future.
The event ended with a town hall meeting where men, women and youths of Eto Mkpe community interfaced with the NDDC representative, who then felt their pulses.
So far, NDDC had in the last two weeks distributed relief materials to Ikot Offiong community in Odukpani local government area, Esierebom community in Calabar South local government area, Bakassi returnees in Bakassi local government area and Eto Mkpe community in Akpabuyo local government area.
