Ogonis Provide Relief Materials To Orashi People

Moved by the plight of communities ravaged by floods in Rivers State, the people of Ogoni kingdom have provided relief materials to the Orashi region communities in Ahoada-East, Abua/Odual and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni and Ahoada-West Local Government Areas.

The relief materials made up of several bags of rice, garri, cooking oil and yam were presented by the President of the Supreme Council of Ogoni Traditional Rulers, King Godwin Giniwa to Chairman of Ahaoda-West, Hon. Awori Miller on behalf of the four council chairmen on Wednesday at Ahaoda -East council secretariat.

King Giniwa who is also the Chairman of the State Council of Traditional Rulers said the gesture is to show brotherly love to the Orashi people who were devastated by floods about a month ago.

In the words of Giniwa, ” Our people say once your brother is in trouble, you will look for your brother. Somebody must beyour brother and the Orashi people are the brothers of the Ogoni people. We are so sorry we have to sympathise with you for what has happened to you”.

The Ogoni traditional ruler disclosed that decision to reach out to their Orashi brothers was reached at a meeting of the Ogoni people recently adding, ” silver and gold we have not but here we are, whatever we have it is not the things we brought, but the sympathy we have for our brothers of the Orashi region”.

Giniwa noted that the delegation covers representatives from the four local governments in Ogoni land namely- Tai, Khana,Gokana and Eleme.

A woman leader from Ogoni and President of CatholicWomen Association in Rivers State, Mrs. Priscillia Vikue lamented the hardship women and children from the Orashi region have gone through during the course of the three month flood.

She said ” We are women fron Ogoniland and today we are here whenever there is as a crisis it is the women and children that suffer mostly…We are here because Ogoni men and women cried with you when you were crying and we are here in person to commisearate with you”.

Mrs. Vikue thanked the Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi for providing relief material to flood victims in the state and appealed to the Federal Government to step up action and build houses for women who lost their homes.

Responding, Chairman of Ahoada-West, Hon. Awori Miller expressed deep appreciation by the love shown by the Ogoni people, ” Iam speaking on behalf of the Orashi people…We thank you because all through the period of the flood we have records of those who identified with us during the time of our travail, during the time of our distress, during the time of our suffering.”

The Ahaoda-west Chairman maintained that the gesture has lifted the spirit of the people especially during this christmas period, ” we want to thank you, we want to appreciate you and we assure you that we will ensure that these things go down to the grassroots” he added.