The lawmaker representing Onicha, Ohaozara, and Ivo Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State in the House of Representatives, Hon. Livinus Makwe, has paid condolence visit to Sunday Okereke who lost his three children in a tragic building collapse that occurred in Akaeze, Ivo local government area, on Friday, November 1, 2019.

His wife, Elizabeth, and one child survived the collapse building on that fateful night, while he was away for his vigilante work.

Hon. Makwe who first reacted to the incident while in Abuja as he commiserated with the family on getting wind of the tragedy also promised to visit them as soon as he comes back from Abuja.

The lawmaker who went on Monday November 18 to sympathise with the family in person noted that what happened to the family was tragic while praying to Almighty God to comfort them.

“I was in Abuja when the incident happened and I sent my condolence message to the family and promised to visit when I come back from and that is why I’m here today.

“What happened to you is very tragic, to lose three children in one night is terrible, but I want you to meditate on the faithful man Job who faced devastating circumstances all at once, yet his faith in God was very strong.

“Seeing the faithfulness of Job, God blessed him more than he was blessed before. So don't let the situation make you lose your faith in God. Even when we are not happy with what happened, but God will still bless this family with more children. You and your wife are still young and your surviving child will also be a source of blessing to this family.

“What happened did not only affect the Okereke family, but the people of Akaeze, Ivo and Ebonyi State at large. It is not good news; I know that at times you will wake up in the middle of the night or any other time because of the shock, but God through his spirit will help you to overcome.”

Hon. Makwe commended the Local Government chairman, Hon. Ogbonnaya Ude, and the coordinator of Akaeze for their quick responses and interventions to ensure that the victims are provided with the basic necessities such as a place to live and hospital bills.

He noted that even when he couldn't present the matter on the floor of the National Assembly, that he wrote to National Emergency Management Agency, for their intervention.

“Actually, I looked at the matter from different angles in respect to my being in the national assembly. I said should I bring it to the floor as a disaster, but I said it will not fly that way because it didn’t affect the entire community.

“But I did a letter to NEMA which is now under the Ministry of Humanitarian and Disaster Management, hopefully, when I go back I will follow it up with them because this is a disaster and it’s something that calls for humanitarian intervention.

“The Federal Government has an agency like that, they should be able to help once there is a disaster anywhere no matter the quantum.

“But the quantum of this one is more than what can happen to a community because a community can be flooded with no life lost, but here three lives were lost. So once we get anything from there we will still push it,” he assured.

The federal lawmaker presented to the deceased father envelope containing an undisclosed sum of money.

Hon. Makwe was accompanied by the chairman of the Ivo Local Government Area, the coordinator of Akaeze DC, SA on Internal Security and Utility, Ebonyi South, Coordinator of Echiele DC, PDP chairman of Ivo LGA among others

Responding on behalf of the family, Chief Emmanuel Ude Okereke, lauded Hon. Makwe for his visit while praying God to continue to give him the wisdom to ensure effective representation as their representative in the national assembly.

He announced that the mother of the deceased who was receiving treatment after she escaped with her son has been discharged, adding that the coordinator of Akaeze paid the hospital bills.

Update news