Reps Turn Down Proposal For N300bn Special Grants For Borno Flood Victims

The House of Representatives has turned down a proposal for N300 billion Federal Government’s special grants to the victims of the recent flood that ravaged Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

This was sequel to the rejection of an amendment to a motion of urgent public importance moved by the member representing Jaba/Zangon/Kataf Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, Hon. Amos Magaji, at plenary on Wednesday.

Moving the motion, Magaji bemoaned the impact of the flooding incident, noting that houses, markets and many health facilities were affected.

He drew the attention of the House to the impact the flood left on the Maiduguri University Teaching Hospital, adding that the tertiary health institution was no longer accessible for use by the public.

He said: “The renowned Cancer Centre in the facility, which is lauded as one of the largest in the country, was submerged in the flood, thereby damaging all high-end equipment in the centre, while wards at the lower level of the facilities were also severely flooded, including all medical records, administrative records, files, amongst many other things destroyed.

“That electricity power supply in the facility has devastatingly collapsed, largely due to precautions taken to avoid electrocution, as transformers and other power sources in the facility were also submerged in the flood.”

The lawmaker maintained that if no urgent intervention was made to address the devastation of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, “The people of Borno State are at great risk of succumbing to any disease outbreak resulting from the flooding.”

Contributing to the motion, the member representing Yamaltu Deba Federal Constituency of Gombe State, Inuwa Garba, proposed an amendment to the motion, calling on the Federal Government to give victims of the flood disaster a special grant of N300bn to cushion the effect of the humanitarian disaster.

“While individuals can continue to come up with their donations, the Federal Government should give the victims of the Maiduguri flood a special grant of about N300bn,” Inuwa said.

But, when the amendment was put to voice vote by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, who presided over the plenary, lawmakers voted against it and the House thereafter urged the Federal Government to provide support for the victims as much as it could offer.

Adopting the motion, the House urged the Federal Government to address the needs of the Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, renovate the Shehu of Borno Palace, the Maiduguri Correctional Centre and other health facilities affected by the flood.

It also mandated its committees on Health Institutions, Power, Renewable Energy, Insurance and Actuaries Matters, and Legislative Compliance to ensure strict compliance with the resolutions.