Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has flagged off the distribution of relief materials to victims of the devastating Maiduguri flooding taking refuge in about 36 camps across the state capital Maiduguri and environs.
Maiduguri and parts of Jere and Konduga local governments were left submerged in water as a result overflowing water from Alau Dam due to massive rainfall, leaving about 2 million people displaced and properties put at several billions of Naira destroyed.
The flag-off ceremony took place on Monday, at Bakasi camp along Damboa Road in Maiduguri.
The relief materials shared include a bag of 25kg of rice, a carton of pasta and N10,000 cash.
Speaking to journalists at the venue of the distribution, Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum decried the fact that many people not affected by the flood are troupling to the IDP camps, thereby making it difficult for smooth distribution of the palliatives to the people who were actually affected.
He said: “We observed that it is no more sustainable to continue receiving people in the camps because many people that were not affected are troupling to the camps.”
In addition to distributing relief materials, the governor also announced plans to comprehensively assess the affected areas, which will inform future interventions.
He stated: “So we decided to mobilise the resources and ensure that each affected victim had the relief items.
“We have also concluded arrangements that we shall do the assessment at the communities to verify the actual number of those that were affected.”
Also speaking, the senator representing Borno Central, Kaka Shehu Lawan, commended the governor for his leadership.
He said: “Let me commend the governor for providing leadership since the flooding started; he was out with his entire team trying to carry out search and rescue and assisting his people. I also joined His Excellency in commending our donors and urging others to complement the government in assisting victims.”
The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Zubaida Umar, highlighted her agency’s interventions for victims of the flood disaster.
She said since the flooding started the agency has been providing shelters and mobile water purifiers to provide clean drinking water to those affected.
Meanwhile, Zulum has acknowledged the receipt of a food donation from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to support the victims of the recent flood disaster.
The occasion was attended by the Senator representing Borno North, Barrister Mohammed Tahir Monguno, members of the House of Representatives, and Borno State Executive Council.
Michael Olugbode
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