Senator representing Southern Borno Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Sen. Ali Ndume, has called on the federal government to consider the Alau Dam flood disaster that has displaced more than one million in Maiduguri as a national issue and create emergency feeding centres for the victims.
The Senator who commended Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum for creating over 25 camps for the victims said the Ramat Square in Maiduguri would be a good place for such, adding that emergency feeding is standard practice worldwide in times of emergency such as flooding.
Ndume said this on Sunday in Maiduguri after further touring round with the state governor, Babagana Zulum, in assessment of the victims of the flood disaster camped at different areas of the state capital.
He said to avert the humanitarian crisis resulting from a high level of displacement of citizens who are still surging the IDP camps as more victims that were trapped are rescued, the federal government should proactively collaborate with the state government and make food available by opening up a bigger feeding centre by contracting volunteers to cook food.
The Senator, who noted that nobody would understand the magnitude of destruction done by the flood to the lives and property of citizens until the person go round the affected areas, said the destruction is much that the state government alone cannot handle.
He solicited the support of Corporate Nigerians, NGOs and good-spirited Nigerians to support the Borno State government in addressing the destruction caused by the flood in Maiduguri and its environs.
“The Alau Dam collapse is not just a Borno issue, but a national disaster. I have never seen this kind of overwhelming disaster. I think it will be a herculean task in a couple of days and even weeks for this situation to return to normal. Most houses would not survive because they had been submerged and the foundations had weakened.
“I am calling on all Corporate Nigerians to rise up and support because the government cannot do it alone. We really need to help make sure that people do not continue to suffer. Some of them have been in their houses for the last six days.
” What the federal government needs to do is to come and do the survey and get dredging equipment and get to the discharge of the Alau Dam and try to excavate the water way out so that the water can flow and go otherwise the aftermath will be more disastrous.
” Most buildings that were submerged are not strong and if they continue to stay in water they will collapse. Most people trapped in their communities are still there, because it is only boats that the Nigerian military, other security agencies and the state government are using to rescue people there. I am using this opportunity to move a motion since we are on recess for the federal government to intensify action against the plight of the victims of the insurgency,” Ndume said.
Meanwhile, prominent sons and elders of Borno state have been urged to rally support to Governor Zulum in this trying time because the magnitude of the flood disaster is not the type the Governor should be abandoned to handle alone.
Mohammed Usman, a prominent son of the State who made the urge, regretted that since the flood disaster occurred, many sons and elders of Borno residing outside the state have not shown up.
Usman said he was surprised that even the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai, was left alone amid the flood, which also took over his palace. End
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