By Chinonso Alozie

It was jubilation and a sigh of relief for Anambra state communities devasted by the flood, as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints came to their succour and donated relief materials worth over N250 million to assist in reducing their sufferings.

The donation of the relief materials took place at the State Emergency Management Board, SEMB, in Awka and it was received by the Governor of Anambra state, Charles Soludo.

The items include but are not limited to Rice, Beans, Garri, vegetables, palm oil, salt, noodles, bonvita, sugar, mosquito nets, soaps, detergents and others.

Soludo while receiving the materials said: “When I saw the relief materials valued at N250 million and this is coming from a church, the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for flood victims in Nigeria, for those who have been displaced, for those who have lost hope, for those who have lost their sources of livelihood, for those who have lost their homes and their wealth as it were, I want to thank you immensely on behalf of the government of Anambra state and the great people of Anambra. I want to thank you for this partnership. I am calling on others to emulate the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints. This an example that is worthy of emulation.

“Our model to responding to everything that happens around us is through the, Public Private Community Partnership, PPCP, and within the contest of that the church is a community. Here on earth, we all must do the work of God. I love what the regional director said when he said you put yourself in this situation and said what will Jesus do if he were to be around.”

On the issue of flooding, the governor said: It is almost an annual thing and annual disaster. That was while when I spoke at the national level I said they should treat the emergency as a permanent emergency. It is no longer an unexpected emergency.”

Earlier in his remark, the leader of the team from Area 70, Elder Otuonye Justice, while explaining the motives behind their gesture, he said: “We have come to Anambra state to make a presentation because of communities that lost their homes as a result of flood as well as many people that became destitute that is while we are for them to have some foods and other needy materials.”

While enumerating the quantities of the food materials brought for the communities, he said: “Rice, Beans, Garri, vegetables, palm oil, salt, noodles, bonvita, sugar, mosquito nets, soaps, detergents, sanitary pad, toiletries among others all amounting to the sum of two hundred of fifty million.”

On the motive behind the donation of the relief materials, he answered saying: “We are representing Jesus Christ that is what he would have done when he hears his children are having these issues,” adding that “The church in it own organization takes care of people within and without meaning those who are members and those who are not our members.”

He emphasized that; “We have a plan in the church which is called providing in our Lord’s way. Meaning the members of the church has a day which is the first Sunday of the month to fast to give what is called fast offering that which they are supposed to consume they bring them and we give it to the needy. We have one account. So anywhere there is an issue the church will come because we already have an emergency fund that they have already kept for it.”

Regarding the distribution of the materials, he was of the view that; “We looked at it, from the record of what our welfare officer, Chidi Ibeakuzie has, there have been several other things they did to get to the rural areas but this one because of the volume of the relief materials, we need those in government to be aware and we have that conviction that it will get to the people.”

Adding his voice, the Regional Manager for Welfare and Self-Reliance Services, Charles Adebayo, described the donations as “One of the missions of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to care for the poor and the needy. So, from time to time we respond to people faced with disasters such as this in Anambra state. Two years ago, we were in Benue state to make a similar donations.

“By God’s grace, by the end of this month we intend to be in Enugu State, to give people in need. The things Jesus Christ would have done if he were to be on earth. We appreciate the governor for all the good works he has been doing here.” He added that the church, would be “ever ready to partner with the government and other private institutions.

In his conclusion, he recalled that; “Apart from this kind of relief materials we have also assisted them with things like boreholes, schools, hospitals so, we are ever ready to support government and other good will private institutions.”