September 19, (THEWILL) – The immediate past chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, has kicked off a food support programme aimed at alleviating the sufferings of the victims of the recent flood disaster in Maiduguri, Borno State capital.
Kashim, who disclosed this during a briefing with journalists in Maiduguri, expressed sadness over the devastating incident that led to a colossal loss of lives, estimating that hundreds may have perished.
Appealing to Nigerians on the need to urgently support the victims, Kashim disclosed plans to provide 200,000 cooked food packs with an average distribution of ten thousand packs daily.
The distribution, which commenced immediately, aims to reach as many affected individuals as possible, with the teams of volunteers working tirelessly to ensure that every camp receives an adequate supply of nutritious meals and potable water.
“We are saddened by the magnitude of destruction caused by flood in Maiduguri and its environs. The carnage, the loss of lives, the loss of properties, and the unimaginable displacement are heart-wrenching,” he stated.
Kashim disclosed that the distribution exercise would last for the next two to three weeks, after which the situation is expected to normalise. Subsequently, he plans to distribute seven thousand two hundred bags of various sizes (fifty, twenty-five, and ten kg) of rice as part of medium-term interventions to support those impacted by the flood.
“I relocated my entire family to Maiduguri and stayed back because Zulum told us that the scale of devastation is beyond the ability of the state.
“In line with the appeal of Governor Zulum, we elected to focus on alleviating the sufferings of people who are in need of food and water with immediate effect.
“So, I am happy to inform you that I am providing a total of 200,000 food packs. We have already commenced with an average of 6,000 a day and we wish to scale up to 10,000 packs every day.
“The immediate emphasis is on food. I have seen people crying that they haven’t eaten in two days, and this is an immediate concern for everybody. As water recedes and we count our losses, then these other challenges will also come to the fore,” he said.
He said Borno State needs more assistance from people who can support it to enable the state to get back on its feet, and prayed that the Almighty would alleviate the suffering of those affected by the flood disaster.
I am Ladi Dapson, a general writer with thewill. I cover Borno and Yobe states respectively.
I based Maiduguri, Borno State Capital.
I can be reached via [email protected].
Very high and kind regards!
