NEC directs states to submit report on destruction caused by flood

The national economic council (NEC) has asked affected state governments to submit reports on the damages caused by the recent flood recorded in parts of the country.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima gave the directive on Wednesday when he chaired the 143rd NEC meeting held at the presidential villa, Abuja.

The council said all reports must be submitted on August 9.

Briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the meeting, Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi, said the council discussed the N3 billion flood fund released by the federal government to the states.

Bala said the recent flood disaster ravaged properties, including public infrastructure, schools, and farmlands, adding that many people also lost their lives.

“The flood was more devastating along the north-east axis, where a major artery between Kano and Maiduguri has been cut off, with devastating effects on households, schools, bridges, and other means of livelihood,” Bala said.

“Lives were lost, and a lot of properties were also destroyed. Of course, that has really provided a big challenge to us as a government and as a people in our states because we need to provide more food security.

“Already, farmlands are already submerged, and therefore there’s a need for collaboration between all the tiers of government to ensure food security.

“There is a need for planning, collaboration, and interaction to do that during the harvest time because the bumper harvest may not be as envisaged.

“So, the federal ministry of agriculture and all our subnational ministries are supposed to collaborate and ensure that something comprehensive is done.”

Also speaking, Abdullahi Sule, governor of Nasarawa, said the council reconstituted a flood committee for appropriate intervention.

Sule named members of the reconstituted committee as governors of Kogi, Oyo, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Bayelsa, and Jigawa states.

He said other members include the minister of water resources, the minister of state for environment, the director-general of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), the director-general of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), and the director-general of the National Water Resources Institute (NWRI).

He said the managing director and chief executive officer of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), the managing director of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC), the director-general of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and the director-general of the New Nigeria Development Company Limited (NNDC) are also members of the committee.

“The council has decided that Monday will be the deadline for all the states of the federation to submit details of damages, including farms, schools, and barges that have been affected by the last flood, and the chairman mentioned that it will be taken into consideration for appropriate support to the various states,” the Nasarawa governor added.

“So, these are the new very strong membership of the flood committee that will continue to address council henceforth.”