Floods: Tinubu orders establishment of Disaster Relief Fund

• Red Cross evacuates 117 from four medical facilities in Maiduguri
• EFCC, ICPC join funds disbursement committee

Following the recent floods that ravaged parts of Maiduguri, Borno State, President Bola Tinubu has directed the creation of Disaster Relief Fund to focus on bringing together funding from the three tiers of government, the private sector and international organisations to build a resilient response to climate disasters across the country.

This was as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reportedly evacuated 117 people from four medical facilities affected by the disaster.

To prevent misappropriation, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno has included representatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Department of State Services (DSS) and other organisations in a committee to oversee the disbursement of relief funds and items for victims of the disaster.

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, disclosed the President’s order to the media, yesterday, after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

Based on the suspicion that disasters such as the Maiduguri flooding will likely become a regular occurrence, because of climatic changes, Edun said stressed the need for specialised funding to meet emerging demands associated with the phenomenon.

Maiduguri recently witnessed an unprecedented flooding that consumed half of the city, killing some citizens and destroying critical infrastructure.

Edun said the Federal Government would do all in its powers to rally funding from critical stakeholders for the Fund.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, who expressed FEC’s position at the commencement of the meeting presided over by Tinubu, lauded the President’s commitment to credible elections, stating that the Edo governorship victory, which had eluded APC for over eight years, was a testament to the President’s dedication to democracy.

He added: “The election has been adjudged to be free and fair and that is what the President has always stood for. We thank you, Mr President, for being committed to the electoral process and ethos of democracy.

“Once again, we thank our family members of the APC from Edo State for this wonderful showing.”

Also, Council observed a minute of silence in honour of a deceased member, Mrs Salome Audu-Jankada, who died on August 27, 2024.

MrsAudu-Jankada served as Minister of Women Affairs and Youth Development during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.

PUBLIC Relations Officer (PRO) of ICRC, Aliyu Dawobe, stated, yesterday, in Abuja that Red Cross also donated 150 body bags to the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), the state’s Specialist Hospital and State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

“Alau Dam breached its banks in the early hours of September 10, causing flooding in Maiduguri. Before the incident, heavy rainfall had flooded many areas in the state affecting road access.

“More than 414,000 people have been affected, with many houses and crops destroyed. There is a real concern for the civilian population already affected by ongoing protracted conflict,’’ Dawobe said.

According to him, in coordination with ICRC, the NRCS volunteers and staff have been involved in search and rescue operations.

“Their teams have retrieved 22 dead bodies, while 76 children have been reunited with their families. A total of 117 persons were evacuated from four medical facilities affected by the rising waters.

“NRCS has launched hygiene promotion activities in three camps hosting flood-affected communities, in coordination with the ICRC,’’ Dawobe said.

CIVIL Society Organisations (CSOs), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Jama’atulNasril Islam (JNI), Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), development and humanitarian organisations and the Shehu of Borno representatives are also included in the committee.

The inclusion of the organisations, Zulum said in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Bukar Tijjani, was to ensure transparency in the disbursement of the funds.

Also included as members of the committee are the Special Adviser, Monitoring/Evaluation, Baba Gujubawu (Chairman); Prof Ibrahim Umara of the University of Maiduguri (Co-chairman); representatives of the police, army and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Representatives of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), Ministry of Sport Development, Youth Development and Poverty Alleviation, Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Finance, SEMA, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Borno State Environmental Protection Agency (BOSEPA) are also in the committee.

Zulum urged the committee members to approach their responsibilities with dedication and transparency, emphasising the importance of their work to the affected communities.