With Seventy per cent of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital submerged following the collapse of Alau Dam that has been allegedly filled to capacity for the past one week, the need for humanitarian assistance cannot be overstated.
It’s against this background that the North East Development Commission (NEDC) has elected to collaborate with relevant Government Agencies and other critical stakeholders towards providing immediate relief assistance to victims of the disaster.
The Managing Director, Mohammed Goni Alkali gave the assurance during an assessment tour of areas affected by the disaster.
The team visited some areas within Maiduguri, the State Capital where they sympathised with the victims and pledged immediate humanitarian support and assistance to the victims.
As an interim measure, the Commission will liase with the State Government as well as NEMA to provide temporary relief to victims pending full investigation and assessment of the situation
The MD/CEO described the incident as unfortunate and advised residents of flood prone areas to exercise great caution and avoid such areas for their own safety.
The last time the dam had such a problem was in 1994, resulting in unprecedented flooding in Maiduguri when almost half of the town was flooded.
Well over half a Million residents of Maiduguri have been reportedly displaced, while the Federal Government has instituted emergency measures with the opening of IDP camps.
Aside from wide animals escaping from the zoo, the Christians cemetery around Amb. Baba Ahmed Jidda house in Old GRA has been submerged. This poses serious public health threats. Government needs to activate emergency response.
