Respite as Yobe flood victims get N41m support, relief materials

Flood victims in the 16 communities of Yobe State have received respite, as the state governor, Mai Mala Buni, and former Senate President Ahmed Lawan supported them with N41 million and relief materials.

The Guardian learnt that the money and relief materials were distributed to the 9,333 households affected by the recent floods. Distributing the relief materials in Nguru, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Baba Malum Wali, said the recent flood affected most parts of the state, leaving about 23 people dead.

According to him, the worst-hit local councils included Nguru, with 1,093 households; Karasuwa, with 1,842 and Yunusari, with 1,670 affected households in the border areas with the Niger Republic.

He added that the respective council chairmen of the 16 affected councils carried out the disbursement of N41 million. Wali said each of the 200 households in Nguru was to collect N10,000.

The SSG 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. He added that N12 million would be disbursed to the Machina community, while Karasuwa and Nguru, the most affected councils, received N4 million and N10 million, respectively.

Responding, the emir of Machina, Dr Bashir Al-Bishir, said: “This is a testament to the state government’s commitment to supporting the flood victims in times of need.”

The intervention support will undoubtedly bring succour to the affected households and help them recover from the devastating effects of the floods.” Also, Senator Lawan donated N25 million to the flood victims of the north senatorial district, which comprises 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. He said N20 million would be disbursed to the flood victims in the Nguru community, while N5 million would be given to displaced persons in Karasuwa local council.