The on-going efforts at generating funds for the rehabilitation of
victims of the recent flood disaster across the country have received a
boost from the Chairman of Visafone Telecommunication, Jim Ovia, who has
donated N1 billion to the cause.
Besides, the former Managing
Director of Zenith Bank promised that Visafone would set up emergency
call centres across the nation to curtail future natural disasters like
flooding and further assured of the company’s continued determination to
effectively give back to the society and make Nigeria a better place
for all.
While imploring other corporate organisations not to be
left out in the joint task of providing relief for the victims, Ovia
said: “We have made our humble donation and we are still looking at
other areas of assistance we can render. Plans are afoot towards setting
up emergency call centres to mitigate the effect of future occurrence.
Since it’s a natural occurrence, we may not be able to stop it but at
least, lessen the effect on both the people and our environment through
timely action which the call centers can facilitate.”
It would be
recalled that in response to the disaster, the Federal Government, as a
stop-gap measure, announced the disbursement of N500 million to the
highly impacted states, N300million to the moderately impacted ones and
N200million to the least impacted states.
Thereafter it set up a
34-man Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation
co-chaired by Aliko Dangote and Olisa Agbakoba which organized in Abuja,
a dinner to raise fund for the victims of the flooding during which
over N11 billion was realized. Dangote was however the highest donor as
he donated N2.5 billion to the flood victims.
Ovia said his
donation was informed by the need to support government in the onerous
task of resettling the affected citizens who are currently sheltered in
different camps in the states.
He explained that the victims
having been displaced would be psychologically traumatized as a result
of the untold misery and that it is the responsibility of fellow
Nigerians to help them in this time of need.
According to him,
millions of our compatriots are currently grappling with the reality of
having lost their homes, farmlands and sources of livelihood to the
flood and our natural instinct is for all to rally round them for succor
and to alleviate their suffering.
The Visafone Founder pointed
out that since the federal Government had led the path towards the
victims’ reintegration, it behoves on other well-meaning Nigerians to
follow suit and contribute to the Fund to help their kinsmen at this
moment of discomfort.
Meanwhile, Labour and the Organized Private
Sector have commended the gesture of Visafone in partaking in the
relief efforts describing it a good development which should be emulated
by other telecommunication companies.
Henry Okechukwu of the
cement sector of the Manufacturer Association of Nigeria (MAN) said the
donation by Visafone would go a long way in assisting the Flood Relief
Committee realize its mandate of providing succor to the victims.
In
his own comment, Tajudeen Abegunde of the Iron and Steel Union lauded
Visafone as the only visible telecommunication company during the fund
raising saying it only goes to show that Visafone has displayed
unparallel patriotism as an indigenous company that is ready to
positively affect the people and environment within which it operates.
“It
will be good if other telecom companies can follow Visafone’s example
and donate generously to alleviate the pains of the victims of the flood
disaster”, he stated.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/11/ovia-donates-n1-bn-to-flood-victims/
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