By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has launched the distribution of relief items to victims of the recent Maiduguri flood, which affected nearly 2 million people, as the flood relief account reaches N7.5 billion.
The flooding occurred earlier this month due to an overflow from the Alau Dam, leading to significant destruction of homes and infrastructure. The state government has established a rapid-response team to assess the damage in phases.
About 5,235 households in Gwange 1 of the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council benefited from the initial phase of the relief distribution conducted on Tuesday, according to Abdurrahaman Bundi, Senior Special Assistant on New Media to the Governor.
In a statement released to the media on Tuesday, Zulum detailed that 587 beneficiaries had their homes completely destroyed, 2,365 households experienced minimal damage, and another 2,283 were partially affected.
The governor noted that the relief efforts would be categorized based on the extent of the damage. Households that experienced minimal destruction received N100,000, a 25 kg bag of rice, a 10 kg bag of beans, mats, blankets, and mosquito nets. Compensation for the other two categories would be based on the extent of destruction to their homes.
Governor Zulum expressed gratitude to the federal government, various state governments, UN agencies, development and humanitarian partners, corporate entities, and individuals for their support to the people of Borno during this challenging time.
The event was attended by Borno’s Deputy Governor Umar Usman Kadafur, Secretary to the State Government Malam Bukar Tijani, Head of Service Barrister Malam Fannani, commissioners, and other government officials.
Additionally, Governor Zulum announced that approximately N7.5 billion had been received in donations from state governments, individuals, and corporate entities both locally and internationally.
During the inauguration of the relief disbursement committee, Zulum revealed that only about N4.4 billion had been credited to the dedicated account set up to support victims of the Maiduguri flood disaster as of Sunday, September 22, 2024.
Zulum committed to periodically providing the public with updates on the donations made to alleviate the suffering of flood victims.
“In recent days, we have received pledges and funds totaling approximately N13,195,500,000 from the generosity of individuals, organizations, and institutions. As of today, we have a total of about N7.5 billion in our account,” Zulum stated.
