Insurance giant, Industrial And General Insurance (IGI) Plc, with its subsidiary companies, has donated relief materials to victims of the recent devastating floods that swept through parts of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, killing over 100 people and destroying property worth millions of naira.

Making the donation on Wednesday, 28 September, 2011 at the Oyo State Governor’s Office in Ibadan, IGI’s Executive Director (Finance, Accounts and Investment), Mr. Yinka Obalade, who represented the Group’s Executive Vice Chairman, Mr. Remi Olowude, lamented the gruesome extent of the destruction, saying: “It was a tragedy too many.”

Obalade noted that Ibadan, over the years, had been hit by series of flood disasters, including the 10-hour rainfall of 31 August, 1980 that led to the globally infamous ‘Ogunpa flood disaster’, but it had never been so bad. “We share the pains of families that lost their loved ones; we sympathise with those who lost property and we show solidarity with the government of Oyo State. We share your grief and wish to assure you of our support at this trying time. We pray that the Almighty God will comfort you all and grant you quick recovery from this nightmare.”

According to him, the IGI Group, as a public-spirited corporate citizen of Nigeria and a very good friend of Oyo State, feels a strong sense of obligation to contribute towards helping the affected people get back on their feet again and carry on with the business of living rather than wallow in pain and deprivation.

“Our gesture today, is in line with our corporate value of promoting the greatest good of our society. We call on other Nigerians as well as the international community to rally round the Government and people of Oyo State in every effort to check, once and for all, the reoccurrence of the kind of environmental disaster that has brought us here today,” he said.

He commended the State government for its speedy response to the tragedy and the prompt deployment of relevant agencies to provide succour to the victims. He said the Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, demonstrated responsible leadership when he cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia where he was observing the lesser Hajj to be back home to take charge of rescue operations.

The Deputy Governor, Mr. Moses Alake Adeyemo, thanked the IGI Group for its demonstration of support and solidarity, promising that the items donated would be judiciously utilised for the benefit of all victims.