NEDC Scales-up Donation of Relief Materials to Flood Victims

The North-east Development Commission, NEDC, has embarked on the distribution of food and non-food items to the six states of the North-East following the devastating flood that have submerged farmlands and houses in the region in recent weeks. Adedayo Akinwale reports

Just like it was witnessed in 2012, the 2022 flood  has undoubtedly brought about another  tales of despair, agony, displacement and destruction property and farmlands worth billions of naira in recent weeks.

According to reports, about 603 people have died, and more than 1.3 million have been displaced, while over 108,393 hectares of farmlands have been destroyed across the country. 20 out of the 36 states were affected by the devastating flood in the last few months.

Moreso, the Save the Children International (SCI) in a statement issued  recently revealed that more than 1.25 million children have been affected by flood.

It said: “In Nigeria, where about 19 million people were already experiencing crisis-levels of hunger or worse, extreme flooding has destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland. More than 1.25 million children have been affected by the worst floods to hit Nigeria in a decade.”

 This year’s flood, which is believed to be the worst that Nigeria has experienced in a decade has created humanitarian crises and compounded economic challenges in the affected areas. Some flood-affected states include Bayelsa, Rivers, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Lagos, Kano, Adamawa, Jigawa, Benue, Taraba and Borno.

It was in the light of this that  the NEDC has embarked on the distribution of food and non food items in the six states of the North East to provide succour to victims of the flood disaster.

Before the flood disaster, during the World Humanitarian Day marked in Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital on 18th August, 2022, the Commission donated food and non-food items to be distributed to all the six states of the Northeast through the Presidential Committee on Repatriation, Return and Resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), 

The Commission has also commenced the distribution of the relief materials and has since handed over to Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi and Taraba States.

Speaking, during the visit of his team to Taraba state to commiserate with the Governor  Darius Ishaku and the people of the state last Friday, the Managing Director of the Commission, Mohammed Alkali said the commission has started thinking of how it could intervene in the short, mid-term and and in long term to ensure  that such disaster was contained and prevented so that the consequences would be manageable in the future.

He said: “Our coming here today is to commiserate with you and the people of Taraba on the food disaster that affected the state in the last few weeks and also commend you  for the actions you have taken so far to contain the situation.”

“During the August 18 humanitarian day in Maiduguri, which was  presided over  by President Muhammadu Buhari, the commission, as part of our humanitarian gesture announced that it was going to support all the six States in food and non food items. On that day, we promised that all the states will have some portions of food and non food items. And those times were partially received by Mr. President and handed over to the Committee on Rehabilitation of IDPs in those states.”

The managing-director said items due to Taraba are as follows: 10, 000 bags of rice (25kg); 5,000 blankets; 5,000 mats; 3,000 gallons of vegetable oil; 5,000 wrappers; 3,000 children’s wears. “All the items are already here in Jalingo to be handed over to those affected by the flood.”

The NEDC boss further recall that during the first visit of his team, the commission assured that it was going to embark on some project in the state, which included, construction of  housing units, building of  mega schools, construction of  ICTs centres  and construction  of health facilities.

According to him, for the housing, it is already ongoing in Jalingo.  For the mega schools, the contract has been awarded already, to be established in three locations. That is, one each in three of the senatorial districts and very soon, we will come around for the groundbreaking.

Mohammed revealed that the commission was also considering embarking on some road projects in the state, which he said, would  be of very good standard, while assuring that the groundbreaking ceremony would be done soon.

“We have also contacted some of the higher institutions here in Taraba state – both federal and state. Each of them have given us their own requirements one way or the other. And there are certain things we can do for them to support them. Some of the projects have already been awarded. Like today, one of the institutions, Federal Government College, Bali requested for a fire fighting truck, and we have already gotten one for them and it would be handed over to them.”

In his submission, the governor lamented that most of the villages that are less than one or two kilometers to the bank of River Benue were all submerged. He decried  that most of the farmers are rice farmers, while most of the farmlands have been submerged by flood.

He described the coming of the NEDC delegation as a coming of joy to the people of the state, while assuring that the relief materials would be distributed to those that really need them. The governor noted that his administration had sent some relief materials prior to the intervention of NEDC, but stressed that the intervention by the commission would help boost the assistance for the flood victims. 

Ishaku said: “A lot of people don’t know that the River Benue passes longest in this country through Taraba state. A lot of people don’t know that Lado dam in Cameroon is just very close to Adamawa state. And when they felt threatened about the huge flood there, they had to also open their valves to release the pressure, otherwise the dam would collapse. Coupled with the flood that came naturally, coupled with the opening of the Lado dam, of course, the rest I history. This is the worst flood we have witnessed in recent times.

“Just yesterday, I can’t remember who was telling me that somebody was threatening to commit sucuide because he sank more than N40 million in his rice farm and that rice far has perished. This is just one person’s story. If you actually visit the site, you will indeed notice that there is a sorry story to tell in Taraba state and in other states of the country.

“Your assistance in housing, healthcare delivery, some of the mega schools have started, development has gone far and I understand your office too will soon take off. And the health assistance to our College of Health Technology, I’m happy to hear that some people are already here on ground to go and inspect it. It is the only health technology that we have in the North east, we want to bring it to a very high standard.”

Aftermath of the wanton destruction of people’s property, farmlands and means of livelihoods, Nigerians can only hope if the federal government will put up its thinking cap to ensure future occurrence is forestall.

Pix 1- The Managing Director, NEDC, Mohammed Alkali presenting relief materials to the Taraba State Governor,  Darius Ishaku  at the Government House, Jalingo

Pix ii- From left:

Deputy Governor of Taraba State, Haruna Manu; Governor of Taraba State,  Darius Ishaku; Executive Director, Humanitarian, NEDC, Musa  Yashi; Director Humanitarian, Ali Grema; Manahing Director, NEDC Mohammed Alkali; and SA Humanitarian Matters, Group Cpt. Sadiq Shehu (rtd)

Pix III – Relief materials donated to flood victims in Taraba state

Pix iv – Relief materials donated to flood victims in Taraba state