The North-East Development Commission (NEDC) on Tuesday donated relief materials, including food and non-food items, to victims of recent bomb blasts and terrorist attacks across three local government areas of Borno State.
The food items included rice, spaghetti, sugar, and vegetable oil, while the non-food items comprised clothing, building materials, and financial support.
Speaking during the handover of the items to the state government in Maiduguri, the NEDC State Coordinator, Mohammed Umar, said the donations were intended to assist victims in Konduga, Kukawa, and Gwoza local government areas, including survivors of recent bomb blasts in the Post Office area, Monday Market, and University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
“Today, we are here to make the presentation formally in categories. Items related to multiple bomb blasts will be handed over to Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, represented by the Director of the State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullahi Isa, while items for Ngoshe, Konduga, and Kukawa will be handed over to stakeholders, including members of the state House of Assembly and the chairpersons of the local government areas,” he said.
According to Umar, the approved items included: 2,000 bags of rice (25kg each), 2,000 cartons of spaghetti/pasta, 400 gallons of vegetable oil, 100 bags of sugar (50kg each), 1,000 mats, 500 women’s wrappers, 500 men’s garments (brocade), 500 children’s clothing items, and 2,000 blankets.
Providing a breakdown, Umar said Konduga will receive 300 bags of rice, 300 cartons of spaghetti, 250 cartons of vegetable oil, 100 bags of sugar, 500 mats, 500 women’s wrappers, 500 men’s garments, and 500 children’s clothing items.
Gwoza/Ngoshe will receive 1,000 bags of rice, 1,000 cartons of spaghetti, 500 cartons of vegetable oil, 100 bags of sugar, 2,000 mats, 500 women’s wrappers, 500 men’s garments, 500 children’s clothing items, and 2,000 blankets.
Kukawa, on its part, will receive 500 bags of rice, 500 cartons of spaghetti, 200 cartons of vegetable oil, 100 bags of sugar, 1,000 mats, 500 women’s wrappers, 500 men’s garments, 500 children’s clothing items, and 1,000 blankets.
Umar added that in addition to relief items and building materials, families of deceased victims would receive ₦50,000 each, while those injured and receiving treatment at hospitals would be credited with ₦30,000.
The donated building materials included 1,000 bundles of zinc, 5,000 ceiling sheets, 10,000 pieces of timber, 2,000 steel rods, and 1,000 cartons of nails.
The items were received on behalf of the Borno State Government by the Director-General of SEMA, Ali Abdullahi.
Recall that on March 16, triple suicide bomb attacks in Maiduguri that claimed 23 lives and left over 100 others injured, while over 300 residents were killed during a terrorist attack in Ngoshe, Gwoza Local Government, on March 4.
The PUNCH