The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has promptly engaged in humanitarian services by providing succour to victims of 2022 flood disaster, in six local government areas of Taraba State.
Lau, Karim-Lamido, Ibi, Donga, Wukari and Kurumi local government areas of the state, have been affected by flood. Farmlands, properties and economic trees worth millions of naira have been destroyed, while hundreds of people are displaced.
The team of the commission led by its managing director, Alhaji Muhammed Alkali, on Friday were in Taraba State to donate both food and non food items to the state government to support flood victims.
Alkali, while presenting the items to Governor Darius Ishaku at the Taraba State Government House, Jalingo, said the gesture was to cushion the effect of the disaster on the people.
He said the federal government, under President Muhammadu Buhari, is worried over the condition of the victims. He expressed the desire of the commission to intervene in critical situations that affect the people of the Northeast region.
Alkali said that apart from the prompt intervention to victims of flood disaster, the commission had already awarded contracts for the construction of three mega schools in each of the three senatorial districts in the state.
He also revealed that the commission had carried out it’s needs assessment in both federal and state tertiary institutions in the state for more interventions.
The managing director further said the commission had procured a modern fire equipment for Federal Polytechnic Bali, seeing as the request came from the school, he said that such intervention is aimed at affecting people positively. He also commended Governor Ishaku for his quick response to the flood disaster in the state.
In his remark, Ishaku commended the commission for the housing projects, provision of medical equipment to health centres, construction of three mega schools in the state, as well as the quick response of the NEDC by way of supporting the state with relief materials to cushion the 2022 flood effects.
Ishaku gave assurance that the government would ensure fairness in the distribution of the materials to the flood victims. He appealed to the commission to reconsider the award of Jalingo Numan road as well as Jalingo zing Mayo-Belwa road.
The governor also said the deplorable condition of the roads posed a serious challenge to the economic development of the area. He also appealed to the federal government to capture the Northeast in it’s Rail Line projects.
Items donated by the NEDC include: 10,000 bags of 25kg rice, 5,000 cans of vegetable oil, 5,000 wrappers for women, 3,000 pairs of Shedda for men, 3,000 pairs of children wear, 5,000 mats and 5,000 blankets.