Laleye Dipo in Minna
The federal government has said that it cannot adequately compensate victims of natural disasters that occur across the country.
Speaking in Minna, the capital of Niger State Thursday, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Mustapha Habib Ahmed, said: “We cannot compensate people for the traumatic experience that they have suffered in the aftermath of disasters.”
Ahmed, who was represented by the Director of Special Duties, Alhaji Onimode Abdullahi, said government’s gesture is to “help people to get back on their feet and restart normal life with the relief intervention.
“Relief intervention is a testimony that the federal government through NEMA is always concerned about the welfare and well-being of the good people of Niger State”.
Ahmed therefore appealed to the state government “to take disaster risk governance to the grassroots through the setting up of local emergency management committee in every local government of the state”, adding that such a step will make the people benefit from what has been put in place.
He also pleaded with the state government to “set aside a predictable funding for NSEMA and the LEMCs to enable them timely intervene to save lives whenever disaster occurs”.
Receiving the items on behalf of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Ketso, appreciated the gesture of the federal government but said the items are insufficient to take care of the numerous number of victims.
Bello said the government would have loved it if the team visits one of the disaster hit areas to see the magnitude of the problem the state is facing.
Items donated are bags of rice, maize, beans, vegetable oil seasoning cubes and salt.
Also donated included building materials and other non-food items.
