Buhari approves release of 12,000 tonnes of grains for flood victims

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the release of 12,000 metric tonnes of grains as relief materials for victims of flooding across the country.

Sadiya Umar Farouq, minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management, and social development, announced this on Thursday at the weekly ministerial briefing organised by the presidential communications team in Abuja.

According to the minister, the federal government has so far provided intervention to 28 states of the federation.

“The ministry, through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has deployed its emergency response assets, including mobile water purification equipment, search and rescue boats, and mobile intensive care unit ambulances to conduct lifesaving first aid and support to vulnerable populations,” she said.

“So far, NEMA has reached out and responded to over 1,427,370 displaced persons in 28 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

“The provision of food and non-food items for immediate relief and building materials to facilitate the rehabilitation of the impacted populations is still ongoing.

“The remaining states comprising of Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Kwara, Zamfara, Katsina, Kebbi, Borno, and Gombe are still ongoing.

“In furtherance of government’s intervention to the vulnerable population, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the release of 12,000 metric tonnes of grains comprising of sorghum, millet, and garri from the national strategic reserve to NEMA for distribution to the 36 states of the country and the FCT.”

The minister also announced that the presidential committee on flood relief and rehabilitation, under the leadership of Aliko Dangote, has provided assorted foodstuffs worth over N1.5 billion as support to flood victims.

“NEMA has already provided warehouse facilities in the six geo-political zones of the federation to receive the items,” she said.

“A plan has also been put in place by NEMA to transport and hand over the relief materials to the state governments and the FCT authority.”

She added that temporary shelters have been erected in 22 states, and dismissed reports that some state governments have not received any form of support from NEMA.

She said as part of measures to check possible diversion or hoarding of the relief materials, all stakeholders and security agencies were involved in the distribution process.