Tinubu directs Shettima to visit Maiduguri as flood ravages city

Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s President has directed the Vice President Kashim Shettima to visit Maiduguri, Borno State capital, over the devastating flood in the city.

Shettima disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja, at the 17th Annual Banking and Finance Conference (CIBN) with the theme,” Accelerated Economic Growth and Development: the State of play and the Way Forward,”

”After this meeting with the consent of the President, I will rush to Maiduguri. The whole city has been overtaken by flood, Shettima who is from Borno State said.

“It is not peculiar to one part of the country. We are facing these challenges right from Bayelsa to Sokoto.

“Be rest assured that the President has the nation at heart and will do whatever it takes to salvage the state of affairs.”

Shettima expressed the sympathy of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to all the victims of flood disasters nationwide.

“I want to use this forum to commiserate with the people of our great nation over the flood disasters we are recording all across the length and breadth of this nation,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that many residents of Maiduguri have been displaced by flood, following the collapse of water channels at the Alau Dam.

The flood submerged residential quarters, roads and bridges, making many areas in the metropolis inaccessible.

A NAN correspondent, who went around the metropolis, reported that the flood submerged strategic areas including parts of the Shehu of Borno Palace, Maiduguri Central Market and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

Other areas badly hit included the GRA, Maiduguri Zoo, College of Nursing, College of Agriculture and School of Health Technology, among others.

Many residents were seen evacuating basic items to areas considered relatively safer, with some youths erecting sandbags to prevent water from entering their quarters.

The state government has yet to issue official figures for casualties, but it has ordered the closure of public and private schools for two weeks.

Last week, the secretary to the government, Bukar Tijjani, led a delegation to assess the situation of the dam and reassured the general public that there was no cause for alarm or panicking as measures would be taken to mitigate any disaster, but to no avail as the water has flowed into the city since Monday evening to date.

The incident has so far consumed many communities, including Shehu’s palace, Monday Market, Post Office area, Gwange, Moromoro Customs Bridge, Zoo, and Bulabullin, among others.

Maiduguri but

This is because, in Yobe State, only five local government areas remain accessible to Damaturu, the state capital. These include Nangere, Potiskum, Fika, Fune, and Gujba, while the other 12 local government areas, such as Nguru, Jakusco, Gashua, Gaidam, and many more, were cut off as flooding destroyed bridges, roads, houses, and property worth billions of naira.

According to a short statement from the Police Public Relations Officer, Borno State Command, on Tuesday morning, ASP Kenneth Daso, “Following the devastating effect of flooding, citizens are advised to avoid flooding routes and stay in safer areas as the police and other relevant government agencies are doing everything possible to ensure safety of lives and property”.