By Muhammad Jamil Abubakar
The North East Development Commission (NEDC), in collaboration with the Gombe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), has distributed relief materials to victims of recent flood disasters in Gombe and Kwami Local Government Areas of the state.
Speaking during the distribution, the Gombe State Coordinator of the NEDC, Architect Usman Muhammad, said the gesture was part of the Commission’s continued support to states in the North East affected by natural disasters.
He explained that the NEDC has been supporting Gombe State across various sectors, including health, education, humanitarian services, road and bridge construction, as well as projects in tertiary institutions and hospitals.
The Commission has also installed solar power facilities in several communities to improve access to energy.
On his part, the Executive Secretary of Gombe State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullahi Haruna Abdullahi, said 208 people were affected by flooding in Kwami Local Government, while 80 victims were recorded in Gombe Local Government Area.
He added that each affected person received relief materials to help them recover from the losses suffered during the disaster.
The Chairman of Kwami Local Government Area, Dr. Ahmad Wali Doho, thanked the NEDC and Gombe SEMA for their prompt intervention, describing it as a major relief to residents who lost property and livelihoods to the flood.
Dr. Doho also commended the NEDC for its numerous developmental activities in Kwami and expressed readiness to partner with the Commission in addressing other pressing issues, such as tackling the menace of out-of-school children in the area.
He emphasized that addressing the challenge requires a collective effort from all stakeholders to ensure children in the state have access to quality education and a better future.