By Felix Uka
Special Correspondent, Abakaliki

Governor Sam Egwu, on behalf of his family, donated N500, 000. He announced his own donation while receiving reports from the committee on Tsunami disaster and the disaster in Ebonyi set up by the state government.

Presenting the report, the committee chairman, Professor Ezo Nweke Ozo said they had collected N23.57 million to which the governor added his own N500, 000

Ozo, who is the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), explained that the 52-member committee drawn from the 34 local government areas of the state and some agencies went into the communities and collected even the smallest donations from the people.

He said a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and community based poverty reduction agencies pledged to build 32 shops for victims of the Kpirikpiri market disaster.

Ozo said the state does not have as many wealthy men as other states of the country saying the donations were given from their hearts.

Receiving the report, Governor Egwu thanked the committee on the job saying he did not expect them to generate so much.

He said they could continue as a standing committee so that they could collect the pledges, as they had only got a cash of N13 million adding that he would send part of the donations and commit the balance to the building of shops to replace the burnt ones at the Kpirikpiri market.