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| Governor Rotimi Amaechi's Global 5000 Bombardier Jet-Photo Credit: James Chevrier |
President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday dismissed fears of imminent food scarcity in the country in the aftermath of the recent flood disaster in some states.
Addressing a delegation led by Vice-President Namadi Sambo and Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory, Ms. Jumoke Akinjide, which came to pay him Sallah homage at the State House, Abuja, Jonathan said Nigeria has enough grains in its strategic reserves to take care of any shortfall in food supply.
Jonathan castigated “selfish persons” who had been reportedly hoarding foodstuff in anticipation of food scarcity, saying his administration would protect Nigerians from such.
President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday regretted that no fewer than 25 per cent Nigerians had been displaced by the flood ravaging most parts of the country.
He said since those saddled with the responsibility of compiling data on the victims were still working, there was possibility that the figure might be more than that.
He said his major concern was therefore how to resettle the displaced persons immediately after the flood receded.
Jonathan spoke at the Presidential Villa, Abuja while inaugurating the National Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation which he set up to raise fund to augment government’s efforts at mitigating the pains of the flood.
The committee has businessman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; and a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association as its co-chairmen. Chairman of Globacom, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr., who was absent at the inauguration is the Chief Fund Mobiliser.
The President regretted that some states of the federation, including
his home state Bayelsa, are currently about 80 per cent submerged.
He said his government was sad that Nigeria was facing what he called its unfair share of the global phenomenon.
He tasked members of the committee to ascertain the impact of the flood on the people, raise fund to complement or augment government’s efforts to mitigate the pains and advise government on other things incidental.
He said he expected the job to be completed in 12 months.
He said, “When people face this kind of flood devastation, it is no longer a national issue, it is an international issue because of the magnitude of refugees.
“This is a country of 167 million as at November last year’s projection. It’s almost a year since that figure was released though the Commission is yet to release fresh figures, we are definitely more than that now.
“And when you consider the fact that about 25 per cent or so of these communities are impacted by that, though the actual figure of the land and area affected is yet to get to us, have been affected by the flood.
“I spoke to my governor yesterday, he was so desperate because he said people do not even have food because all the channels of communications to Bayelsa State has been blocked by water.
“So you have enormous responsibility but we believe you are equal to the task.”
The President said members of the committee were carefully selected because the assignment needed people with empathy and human kindness.
Jonathan assured stakeholders that his government is up to the task as it will do everything possible to ameliorate the pains.
“Let me also use this opportunity to assure Nigerians again that the present administration will do everything possible to ameliorate the impact of this devasting flood on our people.
“We will do everything to cushion their pains, and we have put up a strong team made up of credible men and women who will also help government to achieve this,” he added.
Dangote, in his remarks, said he and other members of the committee saw their selection as a call to service.
He regretted that the floods came at a time the nations was battling with other challenges.
He, however, commended the President for responding swiftly to the situation by allocating funds and materials and materials for the relief and rehabilitation of the victims and also the setting up of presidential technical committee and the fund-raising one.
He said the committee would reach out to relevant organisations and individuals nationally and internationally to join them in mobilising resources and ideas to complement government’s efforts.
He also promised that the committee would be accountable and transparent in carrying out the assignment in such a way that both donors and beneficiaries are given account of the judicious application of funds and materials donated for the purpose.
“Be rest assured that we will not only rise to your expectations, but indeed, we will exceed them,” he said.
Dangote later told State House correspondents that there was no limit to how much the committee intends to raise.
He, however, added that a minimum of N100bn would be raised.
He said, “Our target is as much as we can think of and I am sure lot of Nigerians will donate something including yourselves.
“We are targeting N100 billion minimum, we do not want to look at it as a government issue.
“For some of us, when there were disasters in other countries we helped and so we expect people to help us.”
Members of the committee inaugurated by the President include Alhaji Karami Isiaku Rabiu, Alhaji Mohammed Indimi, Ngo Hannatu Cholum, Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija, Prof. Dora Akunyili and Mr. Tony Elumelu.
Others are the Secretary-General, Nigerian Red Cross, representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, UNDP, European Union, DFID and USAID.
Permanent secretaries of the Ministries of Environment, Water Resources, Works, Agriculture, Health, Finance, National Planning and the Ecological Funds Office are also members.
Other members are the Director-General, NEMA; acting Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Chairman, Senate Committee on Special Duties, Chairman, House Committee on Environment , representatives of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, National Council of Women’s Societies, Mr. Tunde Lemo, (representing the Central Bank of Nigeria), Ms. Fatima Wali, Mr. Frank Nweke Jnr., and Senator Florence Ita-Giwa.
As flood sacked many schools in Kogi State, stakeholders have expressed worry about the impact of school closure on pupils, SUCCESS NWOGU writes
Kogi State Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Grace Elebiyo, tutors and pupils in Lokoja, the state capital, have said the current flooding of about nine local government areas and about 332 communities in the state is negatively affecting education in the state.
Elebiyo, in an interview with our correspondent on Thursday, said though she could not categorically give the exact number of schools and pupils affected by the flood disaster, about 54,000 pupils in about 270 schools in the councils would have been affected by the closure of schools.
She added that the flood would affect the performance of some of the pupils eligible for the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations next year. She, however, stated that the diligent ones would still be reading at home and might not be so much adversely affected.
She stated that for the West African Examination Council registration, the principals of the affected schools already have the number of pupils moving into SSS3 for the WAEC registration. She added that the number could easily be ascertained through the transition examination as the pupils had done their last tests.
“The flood has adversely affected education. About nine local government areas are being affected by flood. Many schools have been closed down because of the flood, while we have some schools being used as relief camps for the flood victims. There are many affected schools but I have not got the accurate number of the closed schools. But in each council, we have about 30 schools. I cannot say the accurate number but there is no way we would not have about 200 pupils in each of the schools,” she said.
Elebiyo, who said that by December the schools would be re-opened, added that the state government had provided relief materials to the affected pupils to cushion the effects of the disaster. “For now, we want to make sure that the affected schools are closed down temporarily; it appears that there is no solution for now.
“Some of the pupils of the affected schools will sit for the same examination with their counterparts who are not affected. Therefore when this problem is over, there will be extension of school programme. That is the only way we can solve the problem,” Elebiyo said.
In separate interviews with our correspondent on Wednesday, the tutors and pupils stated that the flood had put candidates sitting for WASSCE in precarious situation. They added that even for those whose schools had not been shut down, both the teachers and pupils especially in Lokoja were subjected to great hardship owing to gridlock on the roads. They said this situation had made many of them to come late to schools.
The Principal, Government Day Secondary School, Adankolo, Lokoja, Mr. Edward Olorundare, said pupils in the affected areas planning to sit for the WASSCE might fail as they would be forced to stay off the schools for many months.
He added that some of the pupils in a bid to pass WASSCE might cheat. According to him, many of the teachers, other workers and pupils in areas not yet affected by the flood in Lokoja are now forced to come to school late due to long queues of vehicles, especially trailers.
“The flood is seriously and negatively affecting education. There are many schools especially in the submerged councils that have been shut down. Those children are disadvantaged, especially those sitting for the WASSCE. WAEC organises international examination. Ghana and some other West African countries are writing it. If they are not affected by the flood, it means that their schools would be in session. But here, where the flood is affecting people, the pupils are disadvantaged.
“It has affected us seriously in the school. It has even affected our punctuality and attendance. Most of the people who are displaced are leaving far away. The few roads have been taken over by trailers.
“It will affect the pupils’ performance because by the time the school is closed down and when pupils are coming back, it might be for exams and we are talking about examination malpractice and we are not doing anything to prevent it. How will a pupil who is sitting down at home for three months and is to take exam not fail or engage in examination malpractice in a bid to pass? Definitely, he will cheat,” he said.
Olorundare, whose school is also being threatened by flood, said it was unfortunate that the school did not have accurate information on the flow of the flood.
He stated that though the school had made contingency arrangement, it might be forced to temporarily close if the flood eventually submerges it.
The Vice-Principal, Administration, St. Lukes UBE J.S.S, Lokoja, Mrs. Mary Iselewa, said since some schools in the state had been closed because of the flood, many pupils were no longer serious with their studies.
She stated that some of the pupils now prefer to watch films and play football. “Some schools in the state have been closed down because of the flood. The flood has actually negatively affected education in Kogi State because when schools are even in session, some of the pupils are not even ready to face their studies seriously. They prefer watching films and playing football. When they are in the school, at least they will read their books and when assignments are given to them, they will do them. But now that they are free, since many schools have been closed down because of the flood, many of the pupils now go and watch the flood to see the extent of the damage it has caused victims.
“Also, some of them will say ‘we are no longer in school, there is no need to read and nobody will give us assignment. It is only when we are in school that we need to settle down and study but when we are not in school, we are free,” Iselewe said.
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Another school administrator in Lokoja who pleaded anonymity, urged Nigerian leaders to be more proactive and to implement policies that would advance education and reduce the hardship in the land.
He claimed that the major problems facing Nigeria were lack of foresight and poor planning by its leaders. He said many times, the nation’s leaders went abroad and failed to show that they had learnt something useful in the area of governance.
According to him, Many Nigerians are sad and angry, noting the need for a rethink and change of attitude by the nation’s leaders. “What we are saying is that our leaders should be more proactive. They should plan ahead. There was a time that the late President Umaru Yar’Adua came to inaugurate the dredging of the River Niger in this state. After he died, that effort stopped.
“Assuming that the river was well-dredged, the water level would have been deep and this disaster would not have happened. It is after the havoc has been done that the Federal Government is sending construction giants to dredge the River Niger. Do you know that this volume of water that is wasting could be harvested and used for irrigation? If Israel had the type of water we have, in fact it would be the highest producer of food in the world. But look at how we are wasting it and it is even causing havoc to the people,” he said.
A pupil, Ahmed Kabir, said pupils in the state were not happy because of the flood had made some of their schools to either close down temporarily or converted to relief camps for flood victims.
Another pupil from St. Lukes UBE JSS, Adankolo said many of the pupils were no longer in school. She called on the government to build relief camps for the displaced people and return their classrooms to them so that they could continue with their studies.
Another pupil, Maryam Usman, said many homes had been devastated because of the flood while many pupils lost their books and uniforms to the flood. “I am not happy because of the flood. It has destroyed many homes and affected our education,” she said.
A building in a community primary school in Tombia in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State has collapsed following the flood which submerged the town, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
Chief Christian Otobotekere, the Amananaowei of Tombia, disclosed this when Dr Sylvanus Abila, the state Commissioner for Environment, and his team visited the area on a flood impact assessment tour.
Otobotekere appealed to the state and Federal governments to do everything possible to prevent flood water from ravaging the town.
He suggested the dredging of the community water channel and filling potholes dotting the town.
Meanwhile, Mr Lot Bino, a youth corps member at the Community Primary School, Tombia, said that the school had been shut down due to the flooding which had made learning impossible.
NAN reports that the commissioner’s team also visited Biseni and Kalama communities in Yenagoa Local Government area.
At Biseni, an indigene, Mr Nath Scot, noted that the flood had become an annual problem, forcing some residents to flee their homes while others bailed water from their houses daily.
Scot called for immediate assistance from the Bayelsa State Government.
Responding, Abila appealed to them to remain calm with an assurance that efforts were ongoing to provide relief materials to the affected communities.
NAN reports that several communities in six of the eight local government areas of Bayelsa had been submerged.Toru-Orua community in Sagbama local council, hometown of Gov. Seriake Dickson, was also affected.
