8 die in Rivers relief camps for flood victims.

PORT HARCOURT— NO fewer than eight victims of the flood disaster in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, have died at their camps.

Deputy Governor of Rivers State and Chairman of the State Flood Relief Committee, Tele Ikuru, who announced this yesterday in Port Harcourt, said the government would not hesitate to sanction any traditional ruler caught diverting relief materials meant for victims.

According to the Deputy Governor, there are reports that some traditional rulers and community leaders were diverting relief materials meant for victims in camps in their domains.

Ikuru urged traditional rulers and leaders in communities affected by the flood to work with government officials to effectively distribute the relief materials.

He said: “It is absurd for chiefs and leaders of some communities to bring their chieftaincy and communal problems to the camps, and engage in favoritism and criminal diversion of relief materials meant for the flood victims. Such acts of criminality will not be condoned henceforth, and defaulters will be made to face the full wrath of the law.”

The deputy governor implored the Federal Government to increase the amount penciled down for the state by the Federal Government to mitigate the plight of victims of the flood disaster.  According to him, the N300 million earmarked for the state is too small to make any impact.