CR-SEMA Extends SSDC Relief to Central Cross River Victims
By Ekanem Asuquo
The Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (CR-SEMA) has extended the distribution of humanitarian relief materials donated by the South-South Development Commission (SSDC) to disaster victims in Ikom, Obubra and Etung Local Government Areas.
The Director General of CR-SEMA, Mr Efa Nyong, said the exercise was aimed at extending government humanitarian support to residents affected by recent disasters in the state, which rendered some families homeless and disrupted their sources of livelihood.
Nyong commended Governor Bassey Edet Otu for his proactive efforts in securing federal government support through the SSDC, noting that the intervention had rekindled hope among affected families.
"I want to specifically commend the state government for its humane disposition. Its unwavering efforts to give hope to the hopeless and provide the much needed succour to disaster victims are attracting the desired collaboration," he said.
On the modalities for distributing the materials, Nyong explained that the agency operated a well defined framework backed by a database of identified victims compiled through assessment exercises conducted after every disaster.
"We have a template guiding our operations. We maintain a database containing the list of victims compiled after assessment exercises, which are conducted following every disaster," he stated.
The distribution exercise, held on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at the CR-SEMA warehouse, formed part of efforts to provide relief to residents affected by various disaster incidents across the state.
Nyong supervised the exercise, handing over the relief materials to the vice chairmen of the benefiting local government areas, who also serve as chairmen of their respective Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs).
The local government representatives are expected to ensure that the items reach the identified disaster victims in their respective communities.
The intervention from SSDC followed the recent formal presentation of a fire truck and humanitarian relief materials to the Cross River State Government by the SSDC.
The Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Dr Peter Odey, received the items on behalf of Governor Otu at the handover ceremony.
The gesture underscores the SSDC's commitment to strengthening disaster management and humanitarian interventions across the South-South region, while enhancing Cross River State's capacity to respond to emergencies and provide assistance to vulnerable residents.
