Presenting the materials, comprising 214 bags of rice, 1,200 bags of maize, 150 cartoons of milk, 500 pieces of treated mosquito nets, 337 plastic buckets, 50 cartoons of soaps, mattresses, blankets, bundles of guinea brocades and Super Wax among others, as an initial palliative measure to the victims, the zonal Co-ordinator in charge of Niger and Kwara States, Malam Aliyu Shehu Kafindangi said: “the gesture is in line with the constitutional mandate of the agency to complement the efforts and activities of NSEMA in providing relief to victims of flood.”
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At the presentation ceremony, the Director General, Niger State Emergency Management Agency( NSEMA) Malam Ahmed Ibrahim Inga, explained that the gesture was just the beginning, adding that more donations from NEMA would come as the agency, under the Director General, Mr Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja was committed to bringing succour to the victims of natural disasters all over the country.
Accordingly, he said, “we observed that there were some gaps that needed to be filled by the Federal Government when we first came to deliver our usual technical support and immediately I informed our DG about the situation he approved the supplies of these items.”
Similarly, two women at the camp, identified as Samira Hassan and Hauwa’u Muhammad from Gungu village, who put to bed on Tuesday were given N100,000 each, while they also received the sum of N50,000 cash gift from the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who paid an official visit to the IDP camp on Wednesday afternoon for an on the spot assessment on behalf of the Federal Government.
During the brief visit to the camp by the Vice President, the two nursing mothers expressed their gratitude to God and the government for the gesture and for finding time to visit them as well as the treatment they were receiving at the camp.
The two mothers, who are still basking in the euphoria of their safe deliveries, also expressed the hope that they would be relocated back to their respective villages or new settlement before the naming ceremony of their babies.
Meanwhile, Vice President Osinbajo, who came from Abuja to Niger State on board aircraft sympathised with the victims of the affected communities and instructed NEMA Officials to immediately begin mobilising building materials to the new site, which was arranged by the state government for the construction of a new settlements for the people.
“I have directed NEMA to immediately supply building materials to the new site of resettlement. They are going to start work immediately and we will also do our best to help everybody so that all of you will be well-taken care of. We will make sure we do everything possible to make you comfortable as quickly as possible,”, he assured.
Osinbajo, who stated that the Federal Government remains committed to ensuring the welfare of its citizens, also assured the victims of the Federal Government’s effort at finding lasting solution to the problem.
He said that the relocation of the victims would come up as soon as possible in order to enable school children resume for the new academic session as the Central Primary School Zungeru, is serving as a temporary shelter for the displaced persons.
The Vice President also commended the efforts of the state government as well as that of Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) for the quick response to the plight of the displaced persons through the provision of medical facilities and other relief materials.
Also, according to the DG, Niger State Emergency Management Agency, ( NSEMA) Malam Ahmed Ibrahim Inga, the IDP camp was set to accommodate 1,500 people, but that the only 500 people at the camp were from three affected communities, adding that other communities affected by the flood in the state included Gungu, Aboki, Rafin Gora in Wushishi, Rafi and Shiroro Local Governments of the state.
Also, in his remarks, the State governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani-Bello, assured the victims of government’s immediate intervention so as to enable them go about their normal daily activities adding that the government was grateful to the Federal Government for its prompt intervention to provide succour to the victims.
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