2022 Flooding: NEMA Hands Over Relief Assistance To Victims In Jigawa.

By Mohammed Abubakar, Dutse

The National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA) has for the second time in less than two months, provided some relief items to Jigawa state government for distribution to victims of flooding in some parts of the state.

The exercise is a follow up to the provision of similar relief materials in August by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouk.

Presenting the relief items to the state deputy governor, Umar Namadi on Tuesday in Dutse, the Director-General of NEMA, Mustapha Habib Ahmed said the items included 15,650 bags of 10kg bags of rice; 14,450 bags of 10kg of beans; 12,550 kg bags of maize; 1,750 kegs of 20 litre vegetable oil and 1170 cartons of seasoning cubes.

Also donated were 400 cartons of tin tomatoes; 24,900 pieces of nylon mats; 6,500 pieces each of mosquitoes net and Guinea Brocade; 7000 pieces of children wear; 4000 pieces each of women and men wears; 125 bags of salt; 7,500 bags of cement;5600 bundles of roofing sheets and 1200 3 inch nails.

Also supplied were 1500 zinc nails; 8900 pieces of blankets; 700 pieces of mattresses; 1200 pieces of wax prints as well as 2900 pieces of ceiling boards.

The NEMA boss said the gesture was in fulfilment of the agency’s collaboration with the state on disaster management and humanitarian service delivery.

Ahmed recalled that, in the last couple of weeks, several states of Nigeria, including Jigawa have suffered widespread flood disaster, which has resulted in loss of lives, human displacement, loss of means of livelihoods and socio economic dislocation.

Ahmed described Jigawa as among the worst hit states in the 2022 flood season. He added that though NEMA could not compensate victims for their traumatic experience, “Yet we have to help people to get back on their feet and restart normal life with this type of relief intervention.”

The NEMA boss also confirmed that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the another 300 metric tons of assorted grains to be distributed to victims of flood disaster across the state.

While receiving the items, the deputy governor lauded the federal government through NEMA for prompt intervention in providing the relief materials since the commencement of the disaster, which he described as a sign of concern and seriousness of the agency.

He remarked that the past two months have been difficult for the people of the state, noting that so far, out of the 272,000 people affected, 124 people have lost their lives to the disaster, while 76,000 people have been displaced as a result of the flooding in the state.