Daniel Atori 
…As FG donates N3bn, mattresses, food items others
As part of efforts to address flooding across the nation, the Federal Government on Friday disclosed that it has given each state the sum of three billion Naira (N3 billion).
Announcing the development when he visited the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Gwada town, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, the Vice President, Kashim Shettima also donated relief items like mattresses, bags of rice, beans, groundnut oil, salt, soap, blankets among others.
According to him, “This visit was at the directives of President Bola Tinubu and to reaffirm the commitment of Federal government to the people of Niger towards addressing the devastating effects of flood and insecurity that had bedevilled the country.
“It is a symbolic gesture and an assessment tour. I assure the people and the state government that the president is posed to support the state at all times.
“We have come to reaffirm the commitment of the President towards ameliorating the suffering of our people.
“We are aware many lives have been lost and people have lost their means of livelihoods as well as properties worth millions of naira. I learnt about fourteen local government areas are affected in Niger.”
While sympathizing with the victims of insecurity and flood disasters in the state, he said the sum of N3 billion has been released to each state of the federation to assist them address issues of flooding, the Vice President noted that scientific approach and assessment would be done on states like Borno, Niger, Sokoto, Delta, Jigawa and Bayelsa which have more incidents of flood.
Accordingly, he said, this is because the President has the interest of the people at heart. “He sleeps with Nigerians in his mind and wakes up with Nigerians in his mind,” he added.
Amongst those on the entourage are Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara and who is also the Chairman of Governors Forum and Alhaji Mohammed Idris, Minister for Information and National Orientation.
Others are the Deputy Chief of Staff and Minister of state for Agriculture, Abdullahi Sabi, Director General of NEMA.
Speaking on the recent tanker explosion that claimed the lives of over 50 lives, Shettima said the President had intervened decisively in the area of infrastructure especially on East West and Badagri to Sokoto roads.
He disclosed that the road where the accident happened was under construction, adding that the the federal would continue do its utomost best to address the challenges of infrastructure deficit in the country.
In his remarks Governor Umaru Bago while thanking the Vice President for the visit said 14 of the 25 LGAs in the state have had flood experience that caused loss of lives and destruction of properties this year.
Speaking earlier, the Director General, Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullah Baba Arah said a total of 46, 853 people from 5, 863 households have been displaced by banditry, flooding and communal crises across the state
He said the displaced persons made up of 5,863 men, 23,450 women and 17, 540 children.
He also revealed that there were 5, 823 internally displaced persons at the Gwada IDP camp comprising 970 men, 2, 051 women and 2, 802 children and 3, 180 displaced farmers made up of 530 men, 1, 040 women and 1, 610 children at the Kuta IDP camp.
He said both camps were established since 2018.
