Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, has announced emergency relief efforts, supplementing the ECOWAS Emergency Flood Response Project with essential items, including food, mats, and blankets, to support the flood-ravaged communities in Bauchi State.
The Governor was speaking at the Grand Finale of the ECOWAS Flood Response Project in Bauchi State, held on Wednesday at the Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu Square at the Government House.
Bala Mohammed, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Aminu Hammayo, stated, “We are gathered here today not to celebrate but to offer a tangible expression of solidarity and support to those who have been deeply affected by the recent devastating floods that have ravaged our communities.”
According to him, “You will all recall that in 2024, following persistent heavy rains, water levels had risen, leading to severe flooding that caused significant infrastructure damage, including roads, schools, health facilities, shelter facilities and other community facilities across 16 out of 20 LGAs of the State.”
The Governor added, “Farmlands and other sources of livelihoods were also affected, leading to losses in farm produce and affecting food security. What makes the situation even worse was the fact that areas on higher ground that were hitherto unaffected by flooding became affected.”
He stated that assessment by the State Emergency Management Agency and other supervisory authorities indicated that the floods had caused large-scale displacement of more than 30,436 households, comprising over 293,300 individuals.
He stated, “Over 52,000 houses were destroyed or badly damaged, while several hectares of farmlands were washed away. The flood had exacerbated humanitarian needs, with individuals, mainly women and children, being exposed to undignified living conditions and sleeping in open or crowded spaces, exposing them to protection and health risks.”
The Governor added, “187 casualties were at some point reported, including 24 deaths. Though a comprehensive report had been submitted to the National Economic Council for consideration and support, urgent measures were indeed taken by the state government and other support agencies, including NEMA, to provide the interventions needed to ameliorate the situation at colossal costs.”
He stressed that the distribution of palliatives is a small step towards alleviating the hardship and suffering that many have endured and a clear demonstration of utmost commitment to stand with the victims during such a period of difficulty.
“We acknowledge, with a deep sense of gratitude, the efforts of the Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction and ECOWAS Commission for this kind gesture of providing support to victims affected by the 2024 flood in Bauchi State,” he added.
Bala Mohammed further stated, “We note, as earlier highlighted, that 1,000 households (HHs) had been identified from the Gamawa, Zaki, Kirfi, Jama’are, Giade, and Katagum Local Government Areas of the State to benefit from the Flood Emergency Relief Project.”
According to him, “Beneficiaries from such 1,000 households will receive cash payments of N75,000.00 each using pre-paid cards along with the following food and non-food items: 25 kg bag of rice; 15 kg bag of garri; 12 kg bag of beans; 5 litres of vegetable oil; 5 litres of palm oil; 1 blanket; 1 mosquito net; 1 plastic bucket; and 1 jerry can.”
“Permit me to also place on record our acceptance to take responsibility for all the requisite logistics needed to make this event a success,” he added.
He assured, “On our part, we have provided additional intervention for 150 vulnerable households to benefit from food and non-food items comprising 1 bag of 25 kg rice; 1 bag of 25 kg maize; 1 carton of spaghetti; 1 carton of macaroni; a mat; a plastic bucket; and N75,000 in cash.”
He stressed, “This is in addition to the various palliatives we had given since the occurrence of the incident to various beneficiaries across the State. Let me give the assurance that the Bauchi State Government will continue to do its best, within an established social protection framework, in addressing the challenges of our citizens that are affected by these natural and other disasters.”
“However, the huge impact and negative consequences of such natural disasters could be reduced or mitigated if we, as citizens, also take precautionary measures which include avoiding obstruction of waterways, clearance of drainage, and continuous creation of awareness of the dangers associated with such negative tendencies,” he added.
The Governor added, “Our responsible agencies, including local governments, must rise up and take on this responsibility of enforcement and sensitisation squarely.”
“Furthermore, it is also very important for us to reflect on the growing number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in all the 20 local governments of the State arising from migration from areas of conflict around us,” he added.
According to him, “What makes the IDP situation more peculiar in the State is the fact that the internally displaced persons are integrated into the host communities without isolating them into camps. Though this had exerted a lot of pressure on existing social services requiring additional resources and support, we will continue to be our brothers’ keepers in times of their needs.”
The Governor further stated, “We would like to urge the federal government, development partners, and other donor support institutions to work together with the Bauchi State Government to provide long-term solutions to the state’s increasing IDP problem by considering our proposed step solutions.”
The step solutions included enumeration of the actual numbers of IDPs in the State across the 20 local government areas, developing projects that will further help assimilate IDPs into host communities, and facilitating research to ascertain what has helped IDPs adapt in host communities and help them transition to a normal life.
Others are facilitating constructive dialogues between Bauchi and neighbouring states to find lasting solutions to the perennial conflict that has continuously emptied more IDPs into Bauchi State yearly, facilitating conflict mitigation and peace-building training programmes in affected communities, developing an early warning system for affected communities to help nip conflict in the bud and reduce the incidence of IDP influx, and continuously facilitating review meetings to track progress until conflict incidents are brought to an end.
According to him, “When we deal practically with man-made incidents that provoke incidents of IDPs, we would be better positioned to save resources to face incidents of natural disasters that lead to more IDPs. We are more than ever before ready to take measures to achieve these seven steps.”
He concluded by thanking the ECOWAS Commission for providing such support through the efforts of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.
“I also want to thank the implementing partner, the Nigeria Red Cross Society, for its continued support towards humanitarian causes in Bauchi State and the country at large. I acknowledge the efforts of the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs & Disaster Management, and members of her team for the great job they are doing in addressing the myriad of challenges we face,” he concluded.
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