By State House Communication Unit
Following the deadly mudslides and ferocious flooding that hit Freetown early last week, a high-powered Nigerian delegation headed by the Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffery Onyeama visited State House today, Tuesday 22 August, to show solidarity with the Government and people of Sierra Leone as well as sympathize with victims of the tragedy.
According to Foreign Minister Oneyeama, who expressed profound sadness on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari and the people of Nigeria for the August 14 tragedy, the history of the two countries goes far back and that the blood of both countries runs through the same veins. Nigeria, he assured, would always stand by Sierra Leone under every circumstance.
Minister Onyeama who was accompanied by senior government officials, presented on behalf of President Buhari and people of Nigeria, 315 metric tons of assorted food items, over 4000 medical supplies and a cash donation of US$1 Million. Owing to the huge consignments of relief items he said, there is a possibility that some of the consignments would be sent by sea.
Welcoming the delegation, President Koroma thanked his Nigerian counterpart whom he referred to as a brother. He said President Buhari had been one of the first heads of state to call and sympathize with him when the incident occurred, saying that the support from Nigeria is not peculiar to Sierra Leone, taking into consideration supports they provided during the country’s eleven-year civil war, the unprecedented Ebola epidemic and now the mudslide and flood disaster. The president also expressed delight over President Buhari’s return to Nigeria after successful medical treatment in the United Kingdom.
The Nigerian delegation comprised the Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama, Director General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Engineer Mustapha Maihaja, Permanent Secretary – Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Mrs. Binta Bello, Mr. Kayode Fagbemi of NEMA, Ms. Sarah Sanda, Media Assistant MFA, Onele Alieze, Second Secretary MFA, Egbuniwe Chinedu, Second Secretary MFA and the media team of MFA. The delegation left State House to visit scenes of the devastation in order to assess the damage caused by the mudslides and flooding.
