SHAM£FULL: ‘We’re Not Hungry’, Community Rejects Flood Relief Materials, Food From Lawmaker
Residents of Ohoror community within Uwheru kingdom, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, on Thursday, rejected the flood relief materials brought to the community for distribution by the council chairman, Jaro Egbo.
Disgusted by the quality and quantity of the relief materials, it was gathered that irate youths told the council chairman and his team that they were not hungry or in need of handouts.
It was gathered that trouble started when the chairman’s team arrived in the community with the relief materials for flood victims with severe warning not to distribute any of the items in the community.
Mrs. Ogor, a community resident, shared that the youths in her community had been simmering with anger and frustration due to the government’s dismissive treatment of their community.
This sentiment has been building up over time, reflecting a deeper sense of neglect and disregard.
She said, “It is a shame, very shameful that we have been tagged as hungry people as such anything goes. We have been waiting for this day to come and thank God it came and we expressed our minds by rejecting all that they brought to us as flood victims for distribution.
“When the chairman’s team came, our people rejected all they brought. We told them that we are not hungry, and that they should take the food back. We are fine. Our boys chased them away.
“Even when the council chairman came later, he was asked to leave the community with his relief materials, that we don’t need them. We don’t need his handouts.
“I must commend our youths because their action to chase away the council chairman and his team is testament to their desire for meaningful change and development.
“It is not every time that people should come with loads of handouts as if we are hungry people. By refusing the flood relief materials, they are in essence saying that they will no longer settle for temporary solutions to their problems.
“Instead, they demand sustainable initiatives that address the root causes of their challenges. Despite efforts by the council chairman to persuade us to accept the relief materials, our gallant youths remained resolute in their stance.
“As a community, the government, especially the council, has never remembered us for any meaningful development.”
“The youths of Ohoror community have sent a powerful message to the leaders: that we will no longer be satisfied with token gestures or temporary fixes,” another resident said.
“We demand genuine investment in our community, investment that will bring about lasting change and improvement to our lives. Our youths have awakened to the realization that they hold the power to shape their own destiny.”
“Can you imagine the council chairman bringing for us bags of sachet water, foams for school pupils, palm oil and other petty things,” the resident added.
After several hours of waiting, council chairman Jaro Egbo decided to leave the relief materials with the community and instructed the community leaders to collect them at the council office at a later date.
Speaking to the media after the community’s initial rejection, Egbo emphasized that the distribution of relief materials would proceed in other affected communities.
“Those areas that were mostly impacted by the flood will get the relief materials such as beans, rice, noodles among others to ameliorate their suffering as a result of the flood,” he said.
