Adamawa flood victims cries out over FG’s neglect

Flood victims in Adamawa State have appealed to the Federal Government to come to their aid to ease their hardship.

Reports show that between July and September this year, thousands of people were affected by floods in 18 out of the 21 local government areas of the state.

Findings reveal that the majority of those that were affected by the flood were those located close to River Benue.

Majority of the flood victims are currently living in Internally Displaced Persons’ camps provided by the state government.

In separate interviews in Fufore, Yola South and Girei Local Government Areas, the victims said they lost almost all their belongings to the flood.

Mr. John Garba, a rice farmer from Njoboliyo village in Fufore said he lost all his property in early August this year due to a heavy downpour that caused the flooding.

“Following the heavy flood in August this year, I lost my house and three of my rice farmlands.

“Since then, I and my family have been squatting in my neighbours’ house and had not received any assistance from anybody,” he lamented.

Alhaji Usman Barde, a large scale rice and maize farmer from Girei area, equally said that the flood had submerged his maize farms.

“Last year, I harvested over five hundred bags of maize, but this year, due to the flood disaster, it will be difficult for me to harvest even one hundred bags,” Barde said.

Also lamenting, Malam Umar Hassan, a resident of Yolde-Pate village in Yola South said that the flood completely destroyed his house.

Hassan said he had been forced to take refuge in one of the temporary camps set up by State Emergency Management Agency in Yolde-Pate. and had not received any assistance from the government.

Reacting, Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman, Executive Secretary of Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency said a total of 357, 343 individuals, 7,893 Houses, and 95,474 farmlands were affected.

He said that the State Emergency Management Agency had forwarded the information to the National Emergency Management Agency for possible intervention

Credit: Punch