Vice President arrives Minna Airport to flag off distribution of relief materials
By Stephen Ojo
The Federal Government has released about N308 billion to the 36 states of the federation to tackle the menace of flooding across the country.
The Vice President Kashim Shettima stated this on Friday during a visit to Niger state to assess the devastation of flood and insecurity on in the state.
He said, “N3 billion has been released to each state of the federation to address the flooding issues across the length and breath of this nation”.
Shettima who was accompanied on the visit by Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi and minister of state for Agriculture, Abdullahi Sabi reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Government towards supporting the government and people of Niger state in addressing challenges caused by devastation of flood and insecurity.
He said, ” we have to reaffirm his irrevocable commitment towards ameliorating the suffering of the people. This is a symbolic gesture, we have come on assessment tour and I want to assure the government and people of Niger State that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is poised to assist all states of the federation towards addressing those challenges”.
Speaking at the Internally Displaced Persons IDPs camp in Gwada, the Vice President said the Governor of Kwara State and Chairman Nigeria Governors Forum, AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq was also in his entourage so that he could adequately brief his colleagues on the efforts of the Federal Government.
While commiserating with the people and government of Niger state on the recent accident of tanker explosion in which 60 people were killed, the Vice president said the federal government is doing its best to address the poor infrastructural across the country.
In a remark, the state Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago apreciated the federal government for the intervention adding that the visit was to sympathise with people affected by flood disasters and insecurity.
According to the general IDPs statistics in the state, 46,853 people are Displaced, 5,863 households affected, 23, 450 men and women affected while 17, 540 children are also affected by flood, banditry and communal conflict.
The items donated to the IDPs by the Vice President were mattress, rice, beans, groundnut oil, salt, soap, blankets among others.