Providing Relief to Flood-ravaged Nasarawa

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State recently distributed relief materials to victims of the flood disaster, which had ravaged about 92 communities across 11 local government areas of the state, reports Igbawase Ukumba

It was on record that no fewer than 400,000 persons were displaced by flood in Nasarawa State in about 92 communities across 11 local government areas of the state.

 Accordingly, the flood affected local government areas in the state include: Awe, Toto, Keana, Doma, Nassarawa, Keffi, Nassarawa Eggon, Obi, Lafia, Wamba and Karu.

In Toto Local Government Area of the state, 17 communities were submerged by flood that wreaked havoc in some parts of the council area following a torrential downpour. The affected communities included Umaisha, Kanaworo, Ehemkpa, Gbagidigbo, Ogbere, among others in Umaisha Development Area of the council area where houses, farmlands, schools, clinics and other properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.

Be it as it may, both the federal and the Nasarawa State governments recently donated relief materials worth millions of naira to victims of flood disaster at Tunga community in Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

Tunga has been experiencing flood in each and every year with the recent incident which had affected the locality recently also ravaged other communities in the Awe Local Government Area of the state. Hence Governor Abdullahi Sule delivered the relief materials on behalf of the federal government to the affected communities.

Nevertheless, it was for that reason that when distributing the relief materials to the communities, Governor Sule said the federal and Nasarawa State governments, as well as the lawmaker representing the area at the the upper chamber of the National Assembly, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, saw the need to visit Tunga in order to sympathise and commiserate with the people.

While delivering the relief materials, the Governor called on the people of Tunga to ensure that only those affected by the recent flood benefit from the largesse.

 This was even as the governor equally made a personal donation of N4 million to be shared among those displaced by the floods, with additional N500,000 to be shared to women and youths who though were not affected by the floods, but were present at the relief materials donation.

Sule listed items donated to the Tunga victims by the federal government to include 150 mattresses, 380 mosquito nets, 290 blankets, 290 towels, 290 plastic mats, 290 wrappers for women, 290 brocade materials for men and 290 plastic buckets.

Others were 290 plastic plates, 290 cups, 290 spoons, 30 bundles of diapers, 38 bundles of sanitary pads, 22 cartons of bathing soap, 22 cartons of washing soap, 38 cooking utensils, 22 stoves, 220 assorted men’s clothing, 290 women’s clothing and 290 children’s clothing.

On the part of the Nasarawa State government, the governor disclosed that his administration consider the immediate needs of the victims of the flood disasters thereby providing 38 bags each of beans, rice and maize, 16 bags of millet, 22 bags of guinea corn, 11 bags of sugar, as well as 22 bags of garri.

Governor Sule later presented a truckload of the items to victims of the floods in the Tunga community.

While hosting Governor Abdullahi Sule earlier in his palace, the Sarkin Tunga, HRH Alhaji Bala Ibrahim Galadima, expressed appreciation over the governor’s visit. The royal father, however, disclosed to Sule during the visit that the recent flood that had devastated the community had affected about 69 households. He added that over 20 houses in the old Awe area were destroyed by the recent floods.

The Sarkin Tunga said: “I commend the Nasarawa State governor for his loudable development strides across the state, particularly in Awe Local Government Area. Even before he became governor of the state, Engineer Sule attracted the Dangote Group to site its sugar refinery in Tunga and for that, the people will forever remain grateful.”

As a show or appreciation, the Sarkin Tunga honoured Governor Sule with the traditional title of the ‘Ganuwan Tunga’. The Tunga monarch used the opportunity to call on the state governor to complete the Tunga road project which will serve as a bypass linking to Adamawa and Taraba States.

Similarly, the Nasarawa State governor was also in Umaisha to sympathise with the people of Toto Local Government Area of the state over the devastating flood that had rendered thousands of people homeless, with crops worth million of naira destroyed.

Sule told the flood displaced persons at Umaisha town that some relief materials have already been sent to them through the Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency (NASEMA), in conjunction with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), to cushion the effect of flooding in the area. 

The governor concluded that clothes, household materials and food items, among others worth millions of naira were brought to the area as relief materials.

On his part, Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, commended Governor Sule for always being there for the people of Toto Local Government Area, emphasising that if not for the governor, only God knows what would have happened to Toto people when Darul-Salam and bandits relocated to the council area’s forest sometime ago.

The Ohimege Opanda, HRH Alhaji Usman Abdullahi, thanked the Governor Sule for always being there for his subjects, and consequently wished the governor well.

Nevertheless, Sule was also at the headquarters of Loko Development Area in Nasarawa Local Government where he distributed same relief materials to flood victims of the locality. Presenting the relief materials, the governor disclosed that steps were being taken to address the root causes of the seasonal floods ravaging not only Nasarawa State, but across the country.

According to Sule, “state governors have resolved to meet President Muhammadu Buhari with a view to appealing to him to consider approaching Cameroon in order to tackle the perennial release of waters from dams which lead to floodings in Nigeria. The governors will also talk to the President on the need to dredge local rivers to allow smooth flow of waters.”

Earlier in his address, Chairman of the Nasarawa Local Government Area, Mohammed Sani Ottoz, thanked the Governor for coming to the rescue of the people of the area affected by the recent flood. However, Ottoz appealed for more intervention as the impact of the flood was devastating.

“Considering the level of destruction of houses and farm lands which were washed away along with farm produce, I wish to call on His Excellency to come to the rescue of the victims. Their loses are much. Supporting them will by no small measure bring them back to life and further strengthen their confidence and support in the administration,” the council chairman appealed.

The Executive Secretary of the Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency, Zachary Alumaga, disclosed that government has already reached out to victims of the flood disasters in Tunga of Awe Local Government Area and Rukubi of Doma Local Government Area. He called on the beneficiaries to utilize the items judiciously.

Items donated by the Federal Government to be distributed to the victims in Loko include: 225 mattresses, 570 mosquito nets, 435 blankets, 435 towels, 435 plastic mats, 435 wrappers for women, 435 buckets, 435 plastic plates, 435 cups, 435 spoons, 57 packs of diapers for nursing mothers, 33 cartons of soap, 33 cartons of detergent, 57 units of cooking utensils, 330 pieces of men’s clothing, 435 pieces of children’s clothing and 435 pieces of women clothing. 

On her part, the Nasarawa State government donated food items including 57 bags each of beans, rice and maize, 25 bags of millet, 33 bags of guinea corn, 17 bags of sugar and 33 bags of garri.

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Considering the level of destruction of houses and farm lands which were washed away along with farm produce, I wish to call on His Excellency to come to the rescue of the victims. Their loses are much. Supporting them will by no small measure bring them back to life and further strengthen their confidence and support in the administration