Wali, Lawan support Yobe flood victims with N41m, relief materials
From: Tada Jutha, Damaturu
Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State and the former Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, have supported flood victims with N41 million and relief material in the 16 affected communities.
According to him, the 9,333 households affected by the recent floods are being disbursed and distributed with household stipends, p items.
Distributing the relief materials over the weekend in Nguru, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Baba Malum Wali, disclosed: “The recent floods have affected most parts of the state, killing no less than 23 people.”
He said that the most hit local government areas included the Nguru community with 1,093 households, Karasuwa (1,842), and Yunusari local council with 1,670 affected households in the border areas with the Niger Republic.
He added that the disbursement of N41 million would be carried out by the respective council chairmen of the 16 affected local council areas.
In a breakdown of the disbursement, Wali said: “Each of the 200 households in Nguru is collecting N10, 000.
The donation, presented to the victims through their respective local government councils’ chairmen and community leaders on Saturday, August 17, 2024, included:
The SSG therefore directed the State’s Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to mitigate the impact of the floods by distributing food and non-food items, including blankets, building materials, and cooking utensils.
According to him, the directives included an assessment of damages to the houses and other property destroyed in the recent floods that affected the 16 local councils.
He added that N12 million would be disbursed to the Machina community, while Karasuwa and Nguru, the most hit councils, would be disbursed N4 million and N10 million, respectively.
While responding to the assistance, the emir of Machina, Dr. Bashir Al-Bishir Machinama, said, “This is a testament to the commitment of the state government in supporting the flood victims in times of need,” and he estimated 359 households comprising over 1,795 flood victims in the border community.
“The intervention support will undoubtedly bring succour to the affected households and help them recover from the devastating effects of the floods.”
Besides the disbursement of the SSG’sN16 million, Sen. Lawan donated N25 million to the flood victims of the north senatorial district, comprising seven affected local councils.
The donations were made when Lawan visited Karasuwa and Nguru to assess the extent of damage to both houses and farmlands in the two local councils.
He said that N20 million would be disbursed to the flood victims in the Nguru community, while N5 million would be given to the displaced persons in Karasuwa local council.
Lawan, who represents Yobe North Senatorial District, also urged SEMA to urgently address the immediate and long-term needs of the affected households in their communities.
The legislator appealed to the Federal Government to provide sustainable solutions by providing drainage facilities, including embankments to control the flow of water mitigating the impact of flood disasters in the country.
Lawan also commended the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and SEMA for commencing the distribution of relief material and other assistance to the flood victims.
“However, more needs to be provided in addressing the immediate and long-term needs of those affected by natural disasters.
He urged the two agencies to
“I urge both agencies to urgently provide additional relief materials,” he said, including food, shelter, clothing, and medical supplies, as well as support to the affected communities.
On the part of affected residents, he called for cooperation with the relevant authorities to abide with all safety measures.
