By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has inaugurated a committee to disburse relief packages to victims of the recent flood disaster in Maiduguri.
The flooding on September 10 caused extensive damage to homes, infrastructure, and agricultural lands, displacing thousands of families, according to a statement from the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media, Abdurrahman A. Bundi.
The 35-member committee was inaugurated by Governor Zulum on Monday at the council chamber of the Government House in Maiduguri to manage the disbursement of N4.4 billion in donations credited to the state’s relief account.
During his address, the governor emphasized the importance of transparency in the committee’s activities. “To the members of the committee, I urge you to approach this task with diligence and integrity. We must be accountable for every resource entrusted to us,” he stated.
Zulum stressed that transparency is paramount, stating, “We must ensure that every naira allocated for relief is used effectively and reaches those who are suffering.” He also directed that all allowances for committee members would be paid by the Borno State Government and not from the relief fund.
The governor ordered that 100% of the donations be disbursed to flood victims and noted that the state government would ensure the rehabilitation of public facilities such as hospitals, roads, and bridges, while providing the necessary financial support to those affected.
Earlier, Governor Zulum announced that N4.4 billion in donations had been credited to the state’s relief account. The state government established a dedicated account to support ongoing efforts to alleviate the hardships faced by those impacted by the Maiduguri flood disaster.
Speaking after the inauguration of the relief disbursement committee, Zulum said, “So far, we have acknowledged a pledge of N13,195,500,000; however, as of yesterday (Sunday), we received a total of N4,441,494,902.81. All allocations to this account shall be made public in due course.”
