The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Benue flood victims

  • 2Baba donates to Benue flood victims

    2Baba donates to Benue flood victims

    Hip hop artiste, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, has visited the Internally Displaced Persons camp in Makurdi, Benue State.

    2Baba, a Benue State indigene, arrived the camp with his wife, Annie, on Tuesday morning to donate relief materials to the displaced residents.

    He is scheduled to perform under the Benue Flood Relief Initiative.

    Over 100, 000 persons have been displaced by floods which ravaged parts of Benue State two weeks ago and over 3, 400 persons have registered at the camp which opened at the International Market, Makurdi.

    Earlier, Nollywood actress and producer, Rita Dominic, had used her star power to seek assistance for the flood victims.

    Also, Nigerian American singer, Jidenna also shared a poster of how to help victims of the Benue floods.

    “While both Freetown and Houston have been enduring, more than 100,000 people have been displaced by flooding in Benue State, Nigeria,” the ‘Classic Man’ crooner said on his Instagram, posting an image which had the name, place and account details that interested persons can use to show support.

    “Benue is next to the state where I grew up so this really hits home. We need more prayer and more action. Here are a couple ways to donate directly to relief funds via bank account.”

    The account name listed on the poster is Community Links And Human Empowerment Initiative, the bank is First bank and the account number is 2017036058.

  • Int’l Day of Charity: Obaseki drums support for Benue flood victims, others

    Int’l Day of Charity: Obaseki drums support for Benue flood victims, others

    The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has tasked charitable persons, governments, religious groups and other organisations to remember the people of Benue State and others in distress, as the world celebrates the International Day of Charity on the 5th of September.

     

    Obaseki said the scale of the crisis resulting from the flooding in parts of Benue State was beyond the power of the Benue State Government alone and urged global leaders, captains of various industries as well as religious leaders to mobilise resources for victims of the flood.

     

    “The International Day of Charity set aside by the United Nations reinforces our common humanity, shared values and love for one another especially in times of crises,” Obaseki said.

     

    He decried the lack of accurate climatic data to guide builders and developers in flood prone areas at the local government level where much of uncontrolled development takes place. 

     

    The governor commended President Muhammadu Buhari for throwing the federal government’s weight behind efforts to assist victims of the floods in Benue State as he earlier did for Edo State and others that were affected by floods a couple of months ago.

     

    He lauded similar support by individuals and groups, some of whom made donations without disclosing their identities as well as local groups that participated in rescue efforts during the crisis.

     

    The United Nations Day of Charity is marked on September 5th every year.

     

    The day is set aside to recognize the role of philanthropy in the eradication of all forms of poverty and attending to the needs of the most vulnerable people.

     

  • NEMA donates relief materials to Benue flood victims

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) yesterday donated 27 different items as relief materials to flood victims in Benue and inspect affected areas.

    The Director-General NEMA, Mustapha Maihaja, told newsmen in Makurdi that he was in the state on presidential directives.

    He said that the directive was for the agency to quickly intervene into the Benue flood disaster and see how the victims would be assisted.

    Maihaja used the opportunity to extend President Muhammadu Buhari’s heartfelt sympathy to the flood victims in Benue and assured them of the Federal Government determination.

    He said that the relief materials were food stuffs, household items and other building materials, adding that after the official assessment of the areas, the actual areas of assistance would be ascertained.

    “We are here on a mission from Mr President to visit the flood affected areas and ascertain the level of damage caused by the disaster to enable us assist the victims in every way possible.

    “We brought 27 different relief materials to deliver to the state for onward distribution to the affected victims,” he said.

    He said that the materials were pre emergency response materials, adding that three trucks were on ground while five were still on the way.

    The D-G explained that the quantum of destruction could not be ascertained at the moment, adding that his team would be on ground to carry out the data to determine exact quantity.

    Maihaja said that the agency had not received any official communication from the Cameroonian government on the possibility of opening Lagdo Dam that caused the 2012 flood.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the items delivered to the state are rice, children clothes, building materials, foodstuffs and other household items.

    The D-G, while in the state visited the IDPs camp at International Market Makurdi and flood affected areas like Radio Benue, Idye village, Welfare Quarters, Guma, Achusa among others.

    Speaking to newsmen, Commissioner for Water Resources and Environment, Mr Joseph Utsev admitted that though they were expecting some element of flood this year, not of this magnitude.

    Utsev said that Makurdi Township lacked drainages that would control the run water into River Benue, adding that River Benue needed to be dredged to avoid a repetition of the 2012 disaster.

    He said that property worth billions of naira were so far destroyed among which were households, farmlands and businesses.

    The commissioner further appealed to the Federal Government to assist the state with funds for the construction of drainages and dredging of River Benue.

    He said that no life was lost since the beginning of the disaster this year.

  • Relief for Benue flood victims

    Relief for Benue flood victims

    Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Chief Samuel Ortom has visited some flood victims that ravaged several communities in Benue State. He visited them at the three primary schools in Makurdi where he distributed relief materials worth N5m.

    Though the minister was also affected by the disaster which was the aftermath of release of excess water from Ladgo Dam in Cameroun, he still remembered those who have no one to help them.

    Chief Ortom visited each camp with truck load of relief materials, which he distributed for the upkeep of those displaced.

    Some of the items he donated included bags of rice, packs of bottled water; packets of soaps, toiletries and bags of salts.

    Addressing the displaced, among the children and women, the minister charged them to be strong and have belief in God; trusting that soon they would go back to their various homes.

    He disclosed that he lost 350 hectares of rice farm to the flood, even as he said that his house along Gboko Road in Makurdi was also submerged by the flood. He urged them to be patient as government is doing everything possible to ensure their comfort in the camps.

    Chief Ortom, who commended Governor Gabriel Suswam for his effort towards alleviating the plight of the displaced people, reiterated the determination of the Federal Government to tackle the issue of flood in the country once and for all.

    The minister was accompanied on the visit by the Secretary to State Emergency Management Authority (SEMA) Mr. Adikpo Agbatse and other dignitaries.

    The camps for the displaced people which he visited were St Catherine’s Primary School, Local Government Education Authority Primary School and NKST Primary School Wadata, all in the state capital.