Niger State governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello on Wednesday said that over 130 communities in 22 local government areas of the State are currently been submerged by flood.
He disclosed this to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo when the latter paid an on the spot assessment to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp at Central Primary School Zungeru, in Wushishi Local Government area of the state where over 1,200 flood victims from three communities are been accomomodated.
The governor said 22 of the 25 local government areas of the state are now been ravaged by flood rendering over 12,000 persons homeless, hectares of farmland with produce and properties worth millions of Naira washed away.
Governor Sani Bello however disclosed that efforts are been made by his administration for the resettlement of the flood victims in order to enable them go about their normal activities, adding that funds were released for the State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) to provide food items, medicine and other relief materials for the flood victims in the four IDP camps in the state
He commended the federal government intervention through the National Emergence Management Agency, saying “the Federal government intervention has also provided succour to the flood victims in the state”.
The Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who emphatized with the flood victims at the Zungeru IDP camp directed NEMA to immediately provide building materials to the new resettlement site for communities affected by flood in the state to ease their hardship.
“I have directed NEMA to immediately supply building materials at the new sites of resettlement. They are going to start work immediately and we will also do our best to help everybody so that everybody will be well taken care of. We will make sure we do everything possible make you comfortable as quickly as possible,” the Vice President told the IDPs.
He further reassured them that Federal Government remain committed to finding lasting solution to the annual flooding ravaging many parts of the country, maintaining that the welfare of every citizen is the concern of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
The Vice President then commended the efforts of the State Government for the quick response to the plight of the displaced persons through the provision of medical facilities and other relief materials.
Currently 1,200 IDPs are in camp in Zungeru, Wushishi Local Government, 300 persons are in Kakaki, Shiroro Local Government, while the camp in Muye in Lapai Local Government has 4,572 flood displaced persons and 6,000 persons are in Kede, Mokwa Local Government.
