By Yakubu Uba
The September 10, 2024 Maiduguri flood disaster is one disaster too many for the people of Borno, particularly residents of Maiduguri who are still recovering from a more than a decade old Boko Haram insurgency.
Just like the insurgency, the flood disaster from Alau Dam submerged a greater part of Maiduguri affecting four Local Government Areas inflicted havoc affecting lives and property whose quantum may never be ascertained.
Over a million residents of the city and its environs were affected directly or indirectly on that fateful day as people and animals including wild ones from Maiduguri Zoo roamed the city.
Private and public structures like government offices, markets, hospitals, motor parks, sources of water supply, sewage systems and central cemetery were affected bringing socioeconomic activities to a standstill as well as raising threat of possible outbreaks.
Many sympathisers who trooped to the state following the flood incident lauded the resilience shown by the Government and people in facing the unfortunate incident.
President Bola Tinubu, who is one of the prominent visitors, assured victims that Borno shall rise again.
“I understand the immense challenges you are facing, and I admire your strength, courage, and determination amid such hardship. Rest assured, your government is committed to alleviating your suffering.
“Your government will continue to offer support and relief as we come together to rebuild lives and restore hope as swiftly as possible.
“Your indomitable spirit and resilience in the face of adversity deeply touches me. Please know that your government and the Nigerian people stand with you in solidarity.
“Borno shall once again rise above this tragedy, and together, we will overcome,” Tinubu assured.
In his maiden broadcast after the incident, Gov. Babagana Zulum, who constituted a multi-stakeholder committee to undertake a sector-by-sector assessment of the losses to guide the recovery and rebuilding process, said the government alone cannot do the job.
“Recovery from such a disaster cannot be the government’s responsibility alone. It requires the collective effort of all stakeholders.
“I am appealing to everyone – community leaders, business owners, non-governmental organisations (national and international), and our esteemed wealthy individuals, to come together in support of our brothers and sisters who are suffering.
“Unity has always been our strength in Borno. In times like this, we must harness that strength and show empathy and compassion to each other..
“Borno has always been known for its resilience and we need to strongly rely on this to rebound from this disaster. Our recovery process will require collective innovative thinking and commitment to rebuild lost infrastructure, and homes.
“Government is open to constructive ideas from everyone on how we can fortify our state against future disasters.
“We shall leverage on this calamity as an opportunity to invest in sustainable practices and infrastructure that can withstand the forces of nature,” the governor said.
A total of 36 emergency camps were opened to host some of the displaced persons while others took refuge with relatives.
Four months after the incident, normalcy has returned while things are taking shape with almost all the 36 camps vacated as displaced persons return home with businesses and other socioeconomic activities picking up.
A committee set up by Borno Government had verified 95,000 households affected who had been provided food and non-food items and would be supported with cash based on the level of how their homes are affected.
The fears of outbreak did really come to pass with a cholera outbreak, but proactive measures put in place with support from stakeholders like FG, WHO and UNICEF helped in tackling the situation.
According to Borno Commissioner for Health, Prof. Baba Gana, no death was recorded from the outbreak from the five LGAs affected by the flood where no fewer than 287,708 people were vaccinated against cholera.
“So far, no death was recorded out of the 17 confirmed cases from the most affected local government areas of Maiduguri, Jere, Mafa, Konduga, and Monguno.
“The state had received 300,000 doses of Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCV) from the Federal Ministry of Health, which were distributed to displaced persons camps and flood-affected communities,” he said.
The state government has released N22bn as its contribution to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of public infrastructure damaged by the flood to the committee on flood disaster.
It said the money released is to assist in rebuilding the victim’s homes, places of businesses and other public infrastructure which is now ongoing.
The government also extended the period for the State Flood Disaster Relief Disbursement Committee by four weeks to ensure a thorough assessment of the victims with all the affected individuals given relief.
“This will allow for the completion of the disbursement process and ensure that no victim is left behind.
“The committee has made considerable progress in line with its terms of reference, but further time is needed to fully assess and reach all the victims of the disaster,” Bukar Tijjani, the Secretary to the State Government said.
Tijjani also announced that 730 individuals and organisations had donated cash support of over N15 billion for the victims through the Borno Flood Disaster Relief Basket Fund.
He also said that 59 individuals and organisations donated assorted items, while 227 individuals and organisations donated drugs and medical equipment.
Tijjani said the support has continued to help in providing essential relief and hope to countless families who have faced immense hardship during the crisis.
“Through your kindness and solidarity, we have restored livelihoods and continue to rebuild Borno and its communities.
“The outpouring of solidarity and compassion from people across Nigeria and beyond profoundly moved us and has shown the strength with which you stood by us at the time of our dire need for many of our people.
“Your kindness and support have helped alleviate the suffering of thousands of victims affected by the flood. This has given us strength and unity of purpose.
“As we continue with the recovery and rebuilding efforts, your support remains invaluable and timeless.
“We are committed to ensuring that all contributions are utilised judiciously for the intended purposes of direct support to victims,” the SSG said while appreciating donors to the fund basket,’’ he said.
In the area of agriculture where many farmlands are affected, the Borno Government in collaboration with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has commenced distribution of dry season farming inputs to 25,500 farmers.
FAO Representative in Nigeria, Mr Dominique Kouacou, said the critical intervention is for the rebuilding of livelihoods in flood-affected areas.
According to him, FAO is supporting 49,000 households in the North-East, with 24,500 in Borno State alone, through the provision of seeds, fertilizers, and solar-powered water pumps.
As for Alau Dam, the major source of the flood, a committee from the Federal Government has visited to assess the damage for a lasting solution to prevent future recurrence.
The Borno government on its part has constituted a committee on Buffer Zones Demarcation which has so far marked over 500 structures constructed along key waterways in Maiduguri city for possible demolition.
The exercise is part of measures to delineate buffer zones along Maiduguri’s waterways and its environs.
This is with the aim of reducing flood risks, protecting communities from hazards posed by unregulated developments, and promoting effective urban planning.
Traders in some of the affected markets in Maiduguri have started getting required support, with the sum of N987 million so far disbursed to 7,716 of them based on the extent of damage to their businesses.
The chairman of the disbursement committee, Baba Gujubawu said that the ongoing reaching out to traders was coming after the committee spent the past two months verifying and distributing relief items to affected households.
While the reach out continues, the Borno government needs to ensure accountability and judicious use of resources mobilised for the recovery process as promised. (NANFeatures)
