In 2012, the country witnessed an unprecedented flood that destroyed homes in many states. A Presidential Committee was set up to raise funds to ease the suffering of the victims. In this report, BUKOLA AMUSAN examines the committee’s handling of the assignment.
The response to the flood disaster that ravaged many states in 2012, President Goodluck Jonathan inaugurated the Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation last year.
The committee was saddled with examining the effects of the disaster on victims, causes of the flood and prevention.
Though the committee had done some tangible work in raising funds to assist victims, it may have less work to carry out this year compared to the amount of work it carried out in 2012 when many communities witnessed great devastating effects of the flood. The scale of damage prompted the inauguration of the committee, which is co-chaired by business mogul, Aliko Dangote and human rights activist, Olisa Agbakoba.
Fortunately, the committee has, so far, had less work to do during this rainy season as there is no major flood disaster.
To avoid the funds raised to fight flooding being redundant and useless, it had to be channelled to tackling insurgency in the Northeast.
A member of the committee, who is also the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri, told reporters that part of the N17 billion raised to support victims of flooding has been deployed in support the fight against insurgency.
Dangote had announced that a sub-committee, headed by Ambassador Godknows Igali, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, was working on plans to intervene in a various disasters and would submit its report in the first week of April for immediate consideration and implementation.
“We didn’t have much flooding in 2013 and the rain is not heavy this year. We believe that millions of Nigerians are in need, and that calls for the need to provide between N750 million and N800 million to assist them,” Dangote said.
Many communities are affected by communal conflicts in recent time. This, according to the committee, propelled it to move beyond its terms of reference and wade into the problems of the people.
The committee, considering the effects of conflicts in some parts of Nigeria, perpetrated by the Boko Haram insurgents and feuding communities, decided to extend its interventions to non-flood-related emergencies.
This intervention, according to Alhaji Dangote, was also informed by the fact that anticipated high level floods in the country, did not occur last year.
Omeri, said the agency was working with others to create disaster mitigation awareness at the grassroots.
He assured Nigerians of fair, balanced and equitable distribution of disaster relief projects, which he said would be sited devoid of political and other sentiments.
Calling for support from Nigerians and international donor agencies, Omeri said there was no limit to contributions towards saving human lives, urging Nigerians, including those who had made pledges towards assisting victims of disaster with relief and rehabilitation to come forward and fulfill such promises.
The relief committee also established an 11-man committee headed by former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Tunde Lemo, in April to implement the relief efforts.
Although the mandate of the committee was well spelt out when President Jonathan announced its establishment during a nation-wide broadcast on Tuesday, October 9, 2012, among which was to organise a fund raisers for the relief and rehabilitation of flood victims in the aftermath of the ravaging floods that affected many states that year, the committee was also expected to advise the government on the judicious utilisation of funds raised and had the president’s authority to co-opt any other persons or organisations that it may deem useful in carrying out its assignment.
The committee had 12 months to complete its assignment and report to the President.
The 34-man Presidential Committee set out to raise about N100 billion through a fund-raising dinner, though donations and pledges made by prominent Nigerians during the dinner only amounted to N11.35 billion. This was despite tax incentives announced by President Jonathan for all corporate organisations that would donate to the flood relief fund.
Dangote and the Federal Government topped the donors’ list with donation of N2.5 billion, while business giants, Chairman of Visafone Jim Ovia, and Tony Elumelu came second with N1billion each.
By June 13, last year, the committee had invited technical and financial bids from reputable companies for building of houses as well as provision of essential amenities in the 22 states affected by the 2012 flood disaster.
The states were Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Bayelsa, Bauchi, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Rivers and Taraba.
The projects to be sited in the states include two-bedroom and three-bedroom flats as well as construction of community centres. They also include procurement and installation of mobile solar-powered packaged water treatment plants and generator-powered water treatment plants, procurement and installation of solar-powered hand pumps and rehabilitation of boreholes. The committee had announced that it would give preference to contractors from the affected states to ensure timely completion of the projects.
More cheering news came from the Presidential Committee after a meeting on March 28, this year that all was set for the commencement of the award of contracts for the provision of disaster relief infrastructure, this time in more than 24 states of the federation, from the second week of April.
