From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi
The Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation said it has spent 5 billion naira within the last two years on victims of floods in Bauchi , through construction of rehabilitation centres and supply of foods across the state.
The Chairman of the committee, Dr. Sani Abubakar Lugga stated this yesterday, shortly after flagging-off the distribution of relief materials to victims of flood, insurgents and communal clashes in Bauchi.
He said the distribution of relief materials, food and non-food items to the victims of insurgency and communal clashes will take place in 10 states, which include Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi, Benue, Kaduna, Katsina, Gombe, Nasarawa, Plateau and Yobe.
According to the Lugga, the committee decided to extend its humanitarian gesture not only to victims of flood disaster, but to victims of insurgency, communal clashes and cattle rustlers.
Abubakar disclosed that the committee went out of its assigned confine to purchase food and non-food items worth N750m to cushion the effect of victims of insurgency and communal clashes in the 10 states.
He said, ” the committee earlier had a stakeholders meeting with members of red cross, State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA National Orientation Agency, NOA, to work out the modalities for distribution in the 10 states ,so that the relief materials will get to the affected victims”
“The committee chose to flag-off the distribution of the relief materials in Bauchi state because of the state quick response to issues of disaster management and assisting the committee with a plot of land for the construction of rehabilitation centres for the victims” Lugga said.
He regretted that some state governments, NGOs and individuals have not yet redeemed the pledges they made to the committee since 2013, stressing that the committee was working round the clock to give succour to victims of flood disaster, insurgency and communal clashes in the federation.
In his remark, when the committee members paid him a courtesy visit , Bauchi state governor, Isa Yuguda said that Bauchi is one of the states in the country that is worst-hit by the influx of internally-displaced persons from neighbouring states due to flood, ethno-religious crisis and insurgency.
