Northeast commission lifts Yobe flood victims with relief materials

•Govt lauds intervention

SUCCOUR has come the way of flood victims in Yobe State, courtesy of the Northeast Development Commission (NEDC).

The commission donated some relief materials through the state government to cushion the effects of flood on residents.

NEDC’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO, Mr. Mohammed Goni Alkali, described the gesture as one of the agency’s mandate to respond to emergencies in the region with speed.

Alkali, who was accompanied by the House of Representatives Committee Chairperson on NEDC Hajia Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim and other members of the commission, spoke during the presentation of the items to the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Idi Barde Gubana, at the Government House in Damaturu, the state capital.

In his remarks, the NEDC boss noted that the items donated were part of the state share of the relief materials presented to the state by the commission during the World Humanitarian day which was held in August at Maiduguri but were coming at a critical time of need when the state is ravaged by floods, displacing thousands of residents and sacking communities.

He said: “The commission has already received the needs of the victims of the flood disaster and we are looking at both the short, medium and long term solutions to mitigate the effects of the flood on the people.

“The commission has done a lot of developmental projects in the state like the mega schools, the housing estate, and in the health sector with some nearing maturity while others have already matured and are waiting for the ground breaking commissioning.”

Commiserating with residents, Alkali called on the people to pray against the reoccurrence of such disasters.

He also used the occasion to announce the appointment of Prof. Ali Abbas as coordinator of the commission in the state.

Alkali said: “I want to use this occasion and announce that, the Board and Management of NEDC has confirmed the appointment of Prof. Ali Ibrahim Abbas as the pioneer substantive state coordinator for Yobe State.

“His appointment will take immediate effect. I want to direct the newly appointed Yobe State Coordinator to take full charge of the NEDC affairs of the State with immediate effect and make sure the Yobe State NEDCs office is fully functional and operational.”

After receiving the items on behalf of the governor, Gubana, described the intervention as most timely, especially looking at the effect of the flood on the people.

The deputy governor disclosed that the people of the state have lost their livelihood through the flood while calling on the commission not to relent in its strategic interventions for the region.

He lauded the NEDC for its continued support to the state and the entire region in its efforts towards rebuilding, reconstruction and rehabilitation the region after decades of Boko Haram insurgency.

According to him, the flood has affected 11 out of the 17 local government areas in the state.

He assured that the items would be distributed without delay to the affected communities and persons.

The items donated include 10,000 bags of 25kg rice, 5,000 pieces of blanket, five thousand pieces of mat, 5,000 wrappers for women and 3,000 shed materials for men.