GOODLUCK JONATHAN APPROVE N17.6bn FOR FLOOD VICTIM STATES

President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday announced the release of N17.6
billion direct financial assistance to flood-ravaged states. The
President, in a nationwide broadcast, categorised the affected states
into four groups, A to D, which would get N500, N400, N300, N250
million respectively. "Category A states include: =>
Oyo, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Adamawa, Delta, Bayelsa and Anambra.
Category B states include:=> Jigawa, Kano, Bauchi, Kaduna, Niger,
Nasarawa, Taraba, Cross River, Edo, Lagos and Imo States while
category C=>
had Kwara, Katsina, Gombe, Ogun, Ondo, Ebonyi, Abia and Rivers
States. Category D=>
Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Yobe, Enugu, Ekiti, Osun, Akwa-Ibom Borno
States and the FCT,'' the president said. In addition, two key
ministries, Works and Environment, as well as two key agencies,
National Emergency Managment Agency (NEMA), National Commission for
Refugees(NCR) and the Presidential Technical Committee on Floods
Assessment got about N5 billion to assist in mitigating the
adverseeffects of the flooding.
The Ministry of Works got N2.6 billion, NEMA, N1.1 billion, Ministry
of Environment, N350 million, National Commission for Refugees, N150
million and the Presidential Technical Committee on Flood Impact
Assessment, N100 million. In a nationwide broadcast, President
Jonathan also announced the setting up of a National Committee on
Flood Relief and Rehabilitation, to be co-chaired by Alhaji Aliko
Dangoteand Mr. Olisa Agbakoba with Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr. as the chief
fund mobiliser. The committee is to assist the Federal Government to
raise funds to mitigate the pains and ensure the effective post-impact
of rehabilitation of victims.
The committee which has one year to conclude its task is also expected
to advise government on the judicious utilisation of the funds raised,
and has been authorised by President Jonathan to co-opt other persons
or organisations that it may find useful in carrying out its
assignment. The president also promised that he and Vice President
Namadi Sambo would visit some of the victims, He said till date, over
N2 billion had been spent on relief materials, repair ofcollapsed
bridges and construction of by-passes. Government interventions so far
included NEMA, which had spent N1.314 billion, Ministry of Works, N556
million on repair of collapsed bridges and the construction of
by-passes while the Ministry of Environment had spent N95 million on
sundry reliefmeasures.
President Jonathan said upon the receipt of the final report of
assessment of the impact of the flood from the technical committee,
government would announce medium and long-term measures to check
future flood disaster. He expressed government's sympathy with the
victims and gave the assurance that government would do everything
possible to mitigate the impact. .