President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the distribution of relief items worth N500 million to about 116,000 persons in Yobe State displaced by the insurgency in the North-East. The distribution is being handled by the Presidential Committee on Relief Procurement and Distribution.

Flagging off the relief distribution in Damaturu, Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Muhammad Sani-Sidi, who is the chairman of the committee, said the items were procured based on identified basic needs of the people and that proper arrangements have been made to ensure direct distribution to the target beneficiaries. He said the items would be distributed by NEMA staff in collaboration officials of the Yobe State Government and Red Cross throughout the state.

The Director General of NEMA, who was represented by the Agency’s Director of Disaster Risk Reduction, Alhaji Alhassan Nuhu, said the items have been strategically stockpiled in Damaturu for the beneficiaries in the west and central parts of the state while another large consignment was in Gashua for easy distribution to the IDPs in the northern areas. He said about 15,000 of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) were in Damaturu while the others were in various locations across the state.

Also speaking, the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Abdu Bulama, said the relief items were in furtherance to the commitment of the President in the fight against insurgency and provision of necessary supports to those affected by the security challenge in the North-East. The Minister assured the people of more support from the recently launched Victims Supports Fund that was inaugurated by the Federal Government to mobilise funds and other assistance towards their recovery.

Responding during a courtesy call at the Government House, Yobe State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Geidam, appreciated the concerns of President Jonathan in the delivery of the relief items to the state. Geidam, who was represented by his deputy, Alhaji Danladi Ali, assured of the cooperation of the State Government towards addressing the security challenge and supporting the affected persons.

The flagging off of the presidential relief distribution in Yobe followed similar exercises in neighbouring Adamawa and Borno states.

•Photo shows NEMA DG Sani-Sidi.