By Our Reporter
The Delta State Committee on Management of the Federal Government Fund and Post Flooding Rehabilitation of victims has commenced the distribution of farm inputs to farmers displaced by the recent floods which swept the state.
Hundreds of agitated farmers who were gathered in groups Monday at the Anglican Girls’ Grammar School, (AGGS), Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area received cassava stems offered them by the state government at a ceremony attended and supervised by the State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan.
The governor was at the AGGS camp to flag-off the second phase of the management of the displaced victims, which included distribution of the farm inputs.
Two women died in Irri, Isoko South council area of the state trying to salvage their cassava, the main staple food of residents of the state who also extensively farm the produce on commercial basis.

Fears have been expressed that there could be famine in the state if the displaced farmers are not well motivated through the distribution of agricultural inputs in the coming months as the floods that swept the state totally destroyed their farms.

In the aftermath of the floods the state government set up 22 camps for the internally displaced persons, IDPs, in the 14 Local Government Areas affected by floods.

The government has also in addition announced a N174 million resettlement package for those willing to leave the emergency camp. Under the programme each adult will receive N5, 000 while N3, 000 will be paid for every child willing to leave the camp.

This decision was informed by the fact that many of the flood victims have started leaving the emergency camps to their villages to start preparing for the new farming season.

Governor Uduaghan who has personally been in charge of ensuring that the IDPs are properly catered for also personally supervised another stage of the distribution of farm inputs to the flood victims who are mostly farmers.

The exercise was witnessed by the Deputy State Governor, Prof Amos Utuama, the Secretary to the State Government, Comrade Ovouzorie Macaulay, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Victor Ochei, represented by his deputy, Hon Basil Ganagana and other top government functionaries, giving the importance placed on the relief activities by the state government.

Addressing the IDPs during the flag-off, Governor Uduaghan thanked them for comporting themselves during their stay in the camps saying that so long as God helped them to survive the floods, the state government will also do its best to ensure that they quickly pick up the pieces of their lives.

According to the governor, each adult IDP leaving the camp would be given N5000 by the state government as cost of transportation while children would get N3000.

He reassured the people that the government would support them adequately adding that those who own cassava farms or deal in other farm produce would be provided for.