Vice President Kashim Shettima has visited the flood victims in Maiduguri metropolis and Jere, and announced that 50 trucks of rice were underway to the state for distribution.
The vice president, who stated this at the palace of the Shehu of Borno, said the visit was at the instance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The president has given assurance that the federal government would stand firmly behind Borno State toward ameliorating the pitiable condition of our people.
“We are talking to the organised private sector to further reinforce the efforts of Borno State because honestly, Your Eminence, the tragedy that we have seen is way beyond the capacity of Borno State alone to shoulder.
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“Be rest assured that, Insha Allah, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is determined to support the governor to address the needs of the people”, he said.
VP Shettima assured Nigerians that the government was working hard to address all challenges confronting the nation.
“The problem of flood is not peculiar to one part of the country; we are facing these challenges right from Bayelsa to Sokoto. Be rest assured that the president has the nation at heart and he will do whatever it takes to salvage the state of affairs,” he said.
In his response, the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garba Al Amin El-Kanemi, said the flood was an act of God, but that the government should invite experts to advise on what to do to avoid a repeat.
“It is history repeating itself. Exactly in September 1994, same incident like this happened, and people seriously suffered and now another one after 30 years.
“But, this one is worse than the one we witnessed in 1994. Your Excellency, my appeal is that, something has to be done by inviting professionals to advise the government appropriately so that our people would not suffer again.
He appreciated the vice president for the visit and described the situation as devastating, especially at a time when people in the city were about to harvest their farmlands and bring home their produce.
‘Why Borno experienced worst flooding in 30yrs’
The collapse of Alau Dam, which was said to have been filled to capacity for the past one week, was the cause of yesterday’s flood in Borno State.
A statement in the early hours of Tuesday by Professor Usman Tar, the Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, titled ‘Flooding Alert for River Bank Residents’, called for immediate evacuation.
He said, “Due to the unusually high volume of water this year, we urge all the residents living along the river bank to take immediate action to protect themselves and their properties.
“The Alau Dam water has broken down another channel that is currently destroying farms and the water is heading toward the river bank”, he said. Tar also urged the residents of the affected areas to follow evacuation routes to ensure safe passage.
In separate statements, yesterday, some civil society organisations (CSOs) described the situation as “very pathetic”.
The chairman of CSOs, Lake-Chad Basin, Ahmed Shehu, said the fate of the animals that escaped from Shehu Sanda Kyarimi Park, a popular zoo in Maiduguri, was yet to be determined.
“The zoo road is flooded with water and it is gushing toward the College of Health Technology, Maiduguri, where students from were already relocated to school of nursing. Also, the water is heading towards the Commissioner of Police junction through Damboa Road.
“The situation is so dire. The water flooded the zoo at midnight. Though no one can tell the situation of the animals but definitely they will scamper for safety and in the process cause harm to the community.
“It is the same water route that displaced people are taking, that the animals will take too.
“Aside from wild animals escaping from the zoo, the Christian cemetery around Amb. Baba Ahmed Jidda house in the Old GRA has been submerged. This poses a serious public health threat. Government needs to activate emergency response,” he stated.
Abbas, govs, Barau, Buhari, Atiku, others commiserate
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed deep concern about the flooding in parts of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State.
The president, in a statement yesterday by Bayo Onanuga, his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, called for the immediate evacuation of people from affected areas while relevant authorities are still assessing the damage caused by the flood.
He ordered the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to immediately deploy its resources to assist victims.
President Tinubu extended his condolences to the government and people of the state, especially to the families that had lost their means of livelihood due to the disaster triggered by the overflow of the Alau Dam.
The president assured Governor Babagana Umara Zulum that the federal government was ready to collaborate to address the immediate humanitarian needs of the affected people.
He expressed the commitment of his administration “to mobilising federal resources to support the state during this difficult time.”
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajuddeen, while also commiserating with the people of Maiduguri in a statement on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, called for concerted efforts to provide succour to the affected residents.
The speaker equally called on the residents of other cities in the country where weather forecasts by relevant authorities indicated there would be floods in the coming days and weeks to take heed.
The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, has extended his heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the government and people of Borno State over the devastating floods in the state.
Senator Barau, who is also the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, in a statement by his media aide, Ismail Mudashir, expressed his sympathies to all those affected by the disaster.
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) yesterday said it stood in solidarity with the people of Borno over the flooding incident.
In a condolence message signed by its chairman and governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the NGF commiserated with the families of the affected victims.
The Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) also expressed concern for other states in the North and across Nigeria facing similar flooding incidents, urging the federal government and humanitarian organisations to bolster their relief efforts.
Chairman of the forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, in a statement by his spokesman, Ismaila Uba Misilli, extended assurances of solidarity and support of the 19 northern governors to Governor Zulum and the people of Borno state, particularly those affected by the flooding.
Governor Yahaya commended the swift response of Borno state government and the efforts of emergency responders and other volunteers on the ground.
It’s national emergency, disaster – Buhari, Atiku
Former President Muhammadu Buhari has described the devastating flood in Borno State and other parts of the country as a national calamity.
This is as the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also described the situation as a national emergency, and called on the federal relief agencies to expedite efforts in mitigating the effects of the calamity.
In their separate statements, the two leaders commiserated with the people of Borno over the disaster.
In his statement signed by Garba Shehu, his spokesman, former President expressed hope that the relief measures by the various governments would provide comfort and help people who had lost their family members and livelihood to resume their normal lives.
On his part, Atiku in a message on his verified Facebook page said the “Catastrophic flooding in Maiduguri has reached the level of a dire national emergency.”
He called upon the public to adhere closely to the government’s guidelines, especially as it relates to evacuating from areas vulnerable to flooding to minimise further harm to lives and property during this challenging time.
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Professor Tukur Muhammad-Baba, said the floods could not have come at a worst time when Nigerians are facing other challenges.
The ACF called for the strict enforcement of regulatory planning, authorisations, relevant building codes, as well as town, regional and environmental regulations.
The senator representing Borno South, Mohammed Ali Ndume has asked the federal government to intervene in the flood disaster that has ravaged Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
Ndume in a statement in Abuja said the federal government should support effort of the state government in providing succour to victims of the disaster.
The Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation (SABMF) also appealed for urgent support to the victims of the flood disaster in Maiduguri and other communities in Borno state.
Director General of the foundation, Engineer Abubakar Gambo Umar in a statement issued in Kaduna stressed the need for immediate emergency response from the government and relevant stakeholders to alleviate the suffering caused by the disaster.
By Baba Martins, Balarabe Alkassim, Saawua Terzungwe (Abuja), Mumini Abdulkareem (Ilorin), Haruna G. Yaya (Gombe) & Maryam Ahmadu-Suka (Kaduna)
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