60,000 Victims To Benefit From FG’s N400m Flood Relief Grant In Edo

The Edo State Flood Relief Committee said that about 60,000 victims of last year’s flood are to benefit from the N400 million relief fund given to the state by the Federal Government. A member of the committee, Ms Benedicta Attoh, made the disclosure on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Agenebode, near Benin. She said that payment identification forms had already been issued to identified flood victims in the state. The committee member, who said that all modalities for the payment had been concluded, added that payment was expected to commence before the end of this month. She attributed the delay in the disbursement of the fund to efforts efforts being made to ensure that only genuine victims benefited. Attoh also said that the committee would ensure that anyone who suffered any form of loss during the flood was not left out. She, however, said that to avoid any problem associated with cheques and banks, the committee was going to be giving out cash to the victims. According to her, the victims are expected to go to their respective Local Governments to claim their money. “I can assure you that after the delay occasioned by efforts to ensure transparency and accountability; all is now set for the disbursement of the N400 relief fund from the Federal Government. “As I speak, forms have been given out to victims we have already identified during the painstaking census of victims. “The identified victims whose forms have already been given are to come to their respective council areas with the forms on the appointed date. “Although the disbursement is coming late, it was not deliberate but to ensure that the right thing was done and I can tell you that we have done our best to ensure that only the right persons benefited,” she said. It will be recalled that several communities in three Local Government Areas in the state were affected by flooding in September, 2012.