Osinbajo orders release of N1.6bn to 16 states ravaged by flood

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has ordered the release of N1.6 billion to 16 states ravaged by flooding across the country.

Femi Adesina, presidential spokesperson, made this known to state house correspondents after the weekly federal executive council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said the acting president has directed Kemi Adeosun, minister of finance, to “immediately” disburse the money to the affected states.

He said the sum is to be released from the ecological fund through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

Adesina also said the sum is to help lessen the effects of the flood on the victims in the affected states.

He listed the states to benefit from the flood to include Edo, Sokoto, Ekiti, Osun, Akwa Ibom, Kebbi, Niger and Kwara states.

Others are Ebonyi, Enugu,  Abia, Oyo, Lagos, Plateau and Bayelsa states.

Of the recent incidents of flood in parts of the country, the worst hit was Suleja, Niger state, where 14 persons were killed after a heavy downpour.

Also affected were Lekki Phase one and Victoria Island,  Lagos state, where residents were trapped in their houses.

The Lagos flood led to the closure of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) network centre.