Mrs Alice Ogedengbe, the Acting Executive Secretary of Kogi State Emergency Management Agency (KOSEMA), has denied alleged diversion of relief materials donated to victims of the recent flood disaster in the state.
Ogedengbe made the denial on Thursday in Lokoja while speaking with newsmen.
She said that allegations that some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) were diverting relief materials meant for the victims in the state could not be true.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the allegation recently led to a wave of protests by flood victims in camps in the state.
Ogedengbe said that civil society organisations were not involved in the distribution of the donated materials to the victims.
According to her, the only civil society involved in the management of relief camps is the Red Cross Society.
She said that the Red Cross was only involved in the coordination of camp activities.
Ogedengbe denied any form of diversion of materials, saying that all of them were fully utilised for the benefit of the displaced persons.
The acting executive secretary stated that about 70 per cent of houses submerged by the flood were built in defiance of the state environment laws.
She then advised people against erecting structure on waterways.
Ogedengbe also called for greater synergy between stakeholders in disaster management in the country for efficient handling of disaster situations. (NAN)