The Senate on Thursday, called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to as a matter of urgency, provide relief materials to victims of recent windstorm in Jalingo.
The Red Chamber also urged the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to direct Yola Electricity Distribution Company to facilitate restoration of power to the city and environs.
This followed a motion by Sen. Shuaibu Lau (APC-Taraba) at plenary.
Moving the motion, Lau said “so far, five people were confirmed dead, many injured and property worth billions of Naira destroyed in the May 5 disaster.
“Since the occurrence of the disaster about three weeks ago, Jalingo metropolis has been in total darkness as several electricity poles and communication masts have fallen causing the death of people as earlier mentioned.”
According to him, informal emergency support services were given to some of the victims by public-spirited individuals by way of temporary shelter, accommodation and treatment.
He said that the victims were in need of “comprehensive support services’’ because they were exposed to hardship and prone to infectious diseases.’’
In his contribution, Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate, Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP Taraba), stressed the need for governments and individuals to return to the practice of ecosystem and tree-planting to prevent reoccurrence of such disaster.
Sen. Oluremi Tinubu (APC Lagos) called for special funds in the supplementary budget to tackle all environment issues in the country.
She stressed that while some of the natural disasters were man-made, others were caused by climate change.
Tinubu, who chairs Committee on Environment, called on the committee to visit Jalingo and other communities where such disaster occurred for on-the-spot assessment.
In his remarks, President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, advised the government, organisations and individuals to be involved in tree-planting and other measures to prevent recurring natural disaster in the country. (NAN)