By Ibrahim Ahmadu
The Borno State Government, on Monday, said that only N4.4 billion of the N13.1 billion donations for victims of the Maiduguri flood was at hand.
The Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, disclosed this in Maiduguri, while giving an update at the Borno State Government Flood Disaster Situation Room.
Tar said the available funds had been handed over to the newly inaugurated Disaster Relief Disbursement Committee made up of people of integrity for disbursement to the victims.
“It is an all encompassing committee with members from Federal and State agencies, technocrats, traditional and religious leaders as well as representatives from the military, police, NSCDC, DSS, EFCC, and ICPC, among others.
“This morning, the governor launched cash support for the first batch of households for commencement of rebuilding their homes,” Tar said.
According to him, victims that received food items and cash support to last them for two weeks should be expecting another package of support.
The commissioner said that many victims, particularly those that received cash and food in camps, had returned home, contrary to the claims that they were forced to leave the camps.
He said that nobody was forced to leave the camp nor compelled to stay, if they felt like going home, given that the flood water had receded in most areas of the city.
He said that government intended to merge some camps.
“About 40 per cent of the camps are schools, so we want to merge some by moving those occupying the schools to other depopulated camps to enable the students to resume school,” he said.
Tar also spoke about many victims that refused to go to camp but resorted to sleeping in the streets, filling stations and people’s business premises.
He said that government had started registering and giving them support and would convince them to move to the camps.
He said that those on Baga Road would be encouraged to go to Gubio camp, while those on Custom area and Bama Road would be encouraged to go to Muna and Dalori camps, respectively.
He called for patience and support for government and other partners engaged in various interventions to ameliorate the sufferings of the victims.
Organisations, groups and individuals have continued to donate funds to the State Government and one million victims of the September 10 flood that destroyed thousands of buildings in Maiduguri.
