In continuation of humanitarian assistance to victims of insurgency in the North east, President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the distribution of relief items worth 500, 000 million naira to about 116, 000 internally displaced persons in Yobe State through the Presidential Committee on Relief Procurement and Distribution.
Flagging off the relief distribution in Damaturu, Director General National Emergency Management Agency Muhammad Sani-Sidi, who is the chairman of the committee said the items were procured based on identified basic needs of the people and that proper arrangements have been made to ensure direct distribution to the target beneficiaries. He said the items would be distributed by NEMA staff in collaboration officials of the Yobe State Government and Red Cross throughout the state.
The Director General of NEMA who was represented by the Agency’s Director of Disaster Risk Reduction Alhaji Alhassan Nuhu said the items have been strategically stockpiled in Damaturu for the beneficiaries in the west and central parts of the state while another large consignment was in Gashua for easy distribution to the IDPs in the northern areas. He said about 15, 000 of the displaced persons were in Damaturu while the others were in various locations across the state.
Also speaking, the Minister of Science and Technology Dr Abdu Bulama said the relief items were in furtherance to the commitment of the President in the fight against insurgency and provision of necessary supports to those affected by the security challenge in the North east. In addition to the relief items, the Minister assured the people of more supports from the recently launched Victims Supports Fund that was inaugurated by the Federal Government to mobilize funds and other assistance towards their recovery.
Responding during a courtesy call at the Government House, the Yobe State Governor Alhaji Ibrahim Geidam who was represented by his deputy Alhaji Danladi Ali appreciated the concerns of the President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan in the delivery of the relief items to the state. He assured the cooperation of the state governmentwith the Federal Government towards addressing the security challenge and supporting the affected persons.
The flagging off of the Presidential relief distribution in Yobe State followed similar functions that were carried out in Adamawa and Borno States. This would be followed by the direct distribution of the items. President Goodluck had approved the sum of one billion five hundred million naira for the special committee under the chairmanship of the Director General of NEMA to procure the relief items and distribute directly to the affected persons in the three states. This is in addition to the various humanitarian interventions being carriedout by NEMA from the onset of the crises to date.
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