The people of Soku in Akuku-Toru local council area of Rivers State who had been in the news for health afflictions and poverty have continued to smile since the attention of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) beamed on them.
The attention did not come by accident. The Rivers Representative on the 7th Governing Board of the Commission, Tony Okocha, discovered their plight, so to say.
Okocha had defined his mission on the board to be humanitarian and welfarist, saying those two areas seemed to have lagged for years.
Soku suffered cholera at a point and it was traced to lack of access to good water, though they lived in waters. The NDDC Rep had made medical supplies and interventions and promised to come back with palliatives.
Now, in fulfillment of that promise by the NDDC, the Rep, travelled through the waters with flying boats to Soku where he presented food palliatives and other relief materials to the people of Soku communities.
The palliative, which consists of edibles and other household items included rice, beans, yams, noodles, beverages, water, nets, slippers and numerous other items, in very large quantities.
Handing over the items to Soku Council of Chiefs, Okocha emphasized that NDDC, in line with its mandate to prioritize the well-being and welfare of the people of Niger Delta, decided to donate the relief materials to Soku communities to cushion the effects of the cholera outbreak in the communities some months ago.
Okocha noted what he called the peaceful disposition of the Soku people and support to the medical team during the cholera outbreak. He admonished them to ensure that they shared the palliative items equitably.
Okocha equally charged the people of Soku to always support the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what the President has done for them through NDDC. He reassured them that NDDC would kick off the construction of the mega Solar-powered water facility in the community in a matter of days. He gave all credit to the board and the managing director.
Receiving the items, the chairman of Soku Council of Chiefs, Opuda Orumo, thanked the NDDC board for regular interventions. He specially appreciated the Rivers Rep (Okocha) and nicknamed him ‘the Moses of Soku’. He reaffirmed the loyalty and support of the Soku people to the government of President Tinubu.
Other dignitaries of the communities who spoke in commendation and gratitude to the NDDC included Omubo Omoni Alasia (Spokesman of the Council of Chiefs), Osaki Ngeripakaibia, the CDC Chairman, Keodiye Barrington Dokubo, Otiasah, Christian Livingstone, (Liaison Soku-NDDC), and others.
