September 26, (THEWILL) – A pan-Arewa socio-cultural association, the Northern Reform Organisation (NRO), has appealed to philanthropists and state governments who announced donations to victims of the Maiduguri flood to redeem their pledges.
The catastrophic flood that submerged the northeastern city was a result of the breakage and overflow of the Alau Dam.
Speaking at a press conference in Kano State on Thursday, the Secretary-General of NRO, Abdulkadir Yusuf Gude, said the donations would go a long way in alleviating the sufferings of the victims.
According to Gude, the devastating flood that rocked Maiduguri was a result of the alleged “neglect the Alau Dam suffered over the years”.
He said experts had attested to the fact that without neglect, the Alau Dam would not have broken and caused the flooding that claimed lives and displaced thousands of Maiduguri residents.
“NRO regrets that the human tragedy, as attested to by several experts, could have been avoided but for the alleged neglect the Alau Dam suffered over the years.
“This was coming at a time the Federal Government had claimed to have committed over 400 million Naira without any trace of critical infrastructure repairs to support the huge expenditure,” Gude alleged.
He, however, commended Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State for reopening the IDP camps.
Gude also lauded the government for the establishment of the health emergency committee to address potential outbreaks of flood-related diseases.
“NRO also welcomes the patriotic gestures of well-meaning Nigerians, the Federal and State Governments, corporate organisations for their quick intervention in form of mass donations to support relief activities.
“We fervently appeal to all concerned to speed up the actualisation of their various pledges and redeem them in good time to make the relief administration more effective. We call on other good-spirited individuals, groups and organisations to come to the aid of the Maiduguri flood victims.
“Nigerians of all shades and backgrounds should attend to the dire needs of the affected communities badly in need of food, shelter, water, medicines and other means of sustenance. We call on the Federal Government to assist in providing lasting solutions and guard against future breaches of all dams across the country.
“NRO heartily welcomes the wise decision by the Federal Government in setting up a Special Committee to re-assess and review the integrity of Alau Dam and other dams across Nigeria and develop detailed recommendations for the overall reconstruction of the dams for future use,” the Secretary-General added.
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
