By Michael Olugbode:
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, has set up an assessment team to ascertain the extent of the damage caused by flood in the state and recommend support.
Devastating flood has destroyed some buildings in some part of the state and also washed away farm produce.
The governor, who was apparently disturbed by the devastation, appointed the Deputy Governor, Umar Kadafur, to lead the team with the task of visiting affected areas, assessing the level of damages and proposing support for the victims.
Zulum announced the measure yesterday after assessing a vegetable market at Moro Moro, a community around Customs area in Maiduguri, which has been ravaged by flood.
The governor, while commiserating with the flood victims in the state, said: “We are once again visited by this unfortunate flooding which has affected communities not only in Maiduguri but in some other local government areas. Insha’Allah, the Deputy Governor, Kadafur, will be heading an assessment team that will visit all affected communities in all the LGA that have been affected, with a view to determining the extent of damages, and identifying victims for the purpose of intervention by the state government.”
Zulum also spoke on problems associated with blocking of waterways, lamenting that more than 1,000 houses have been illegally built on routes that ought to be water channels, and as a result, forcing water to pass through communities and cause destructions.
He said the state government would provide temporary measures for now but after the rainy season, there will be need for permanent measures that may require resettling shelters currently located on water ways, after coming with a consultative approach.
The governor had in July this year, visited communities affected by flooding in Damboa and offered them support.
Zulum had two weeks ago also sent out a committee headed by Kaka Shehu Lawan, the APC candidate for Borno Central senatorial election in 2023, and former state Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, who had overseen the state Ministry of Environment at different occasions, hence familiar with matters of flooding and controlling it.
Lawan’s committee was at some communities affected by flooding in Maiduguri to assess damage.
The governor has since 2019 established the Borno State Geographic Information System, and also enhanced the capacity of the state Urban Planning and Development Board which works with relevant ministries to among other things, take measures that will address perennial flooding in the state, especially in Maiduguri, which is the most populated with the highest number of residential houses.
The establishments have been putting measures which have so far reduced flooding in some communities with more being works in progress.
