Not a few of the Adamawa State residents who were victims of the July devastating flood which claimed over 30 lives, several properties and ravaged crops on farmlands have hailed the state government for the massive assistance extended towards them.
The victims who opened up to Arewa PUNCH said they couldn’t contain their joy over the gesture of goodwill and survival palliatives that included monetary gifts, food stuff donations and other non-consumables distributed to them to cushion their pain and losses.
They particularly noted that the gifts that came in varying forms were disbursed at the right time, especially
during their trying times in the Internally Displaced Persons camp and after they had returned to their various homes.
Arewa PUNCH reports that last Sunday, the flood victims who were carefully selected by a committee set up by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri and headed by his deputy, Professor Kaletapwa who was mandated to identify genuine victims of the devastating effects of the floods gathered again at the Yelewa primary school for another round of distribution of food stuff, money and non-consumables.
While addressing the victims, the deputy governor assured them that the Fintiri administration would continue to stand with them in good days and during their trying times.
He stressed that the government belongs to the people of Adamawa State and that the mandate of the government was to serve the people diligently without bias, pointing out that all the sitting administration required from them was their support and prayers to forge ahead in delivering the promised dividends of democracy and good governance.
Speaking with Arewa PUNCH, one of the flood victims commended the governor for his tireless efforts at ensuring that they lived their normal life.
A middle-aged woman who identified herself as Hajiya Memuna Abubakar said that she was given enough foodstuffs that can take her to next year.
“The foodstuffs I got from the government is more than what my farm would have provided me after harvest. Even the clothes I got I can wear them for the next five years without buying new clothes,” she said.
Another female benefiary who is in her early 50s, told Arewa PUNCH that she has no space in the house again to keep foodstuffs, saying that her store is filled with rice, indomie noodles, sugar, maize and many other food items.
“I don’t know where to take these ones being shared again today. We are being treated with special attention and with more than enough food supplies that will deter us from venturing into crime and other wrongful attitude that can be attributed to hunger or hardship as we all got palliatives that can last some of us for a year or more.
“The flood happened at night, and before 8am, government officials were already there rescuing people and taking some of us with our families to the designatèd IDP’s camp. I’m a top chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, but the People’s Democratic Party government under Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has efficiently handled the flood disaster without bias,” he stated.
An elderly woman who was surprised when her name was called to come receive her palliative told Arewa PUNCH after the gesture, “I don’t know where to take these foodstuffs that are again being given to us today. My store has no space. Whether I will convert my bedroom to another store and find a place to be squatting with my children,” she said with tears of joy dropping from her wrinkled face.
Meanwhile, our correspondent sighted one Alhaji Suleiman Yahaya, who laid atop some of his bags of rice and other foodstuffs.
When our correspondent moved closer to him for a chat, he calmly explained that the flood disaster has converted his shame to joy because he couldn’t farm due to the high cost of farm inputs.
“Whatever has happened has advantage to some people, despite the fact that some people died, houses destroyed with crops, but still to a few of us the flood has covered my shame of having to beg for food to feed my family next year.
“I’m not celebrating what has happened, but the truth is the flood has saved my family by allowing the governor to give us foodstuffs and clothes. In fact, we can say that categorically that the PDP government under Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has efficiently handled the flood disaster without bias,” he stated.
Yahaya derided those criticising the government over foodstuff distribution as being indifferent to their plight while they remain in far away in Abuja and abroad with their families without sending any form of assistance to them to succour their plight, yet take delight in criticising the bold and lofty efforts of Fintiri.
“We, the victims, are very comfortable with the manner the Adamawa State government has treated us so far after this flood disaster. Failed politicians should not use our condition caused by God to rebrand their expired political image in the state,” he warned.
Narrating her ordeal a young woman who identified herself as Aisha Buba, who was eating with her four-month-old baby girl along the corridor of one of the classrooms when Arewa PUNCH visited said that she was yet to believe what she saw last Sunday morning.
“On that night, when the rain started, I went out to put three rubber containers under the roof of the dropping rain water to get some water but unknown to me it was going to be pains after the rain,” she said.
“I went inside to catch some sleep, but suddenly, I heard my baby crying, and I reluctantly woke up to breastfeed her, only for me to discover that she was on top of water that had collected inside our bedroom, and being gradually swept away by the water.
“I thought I was dreaming, but before I know, I heard my neighbours yelling at me to come out Aisha, water, water. In fact, God is merciful. For me, I was already scared to death, but God rescued us, not man,” she acknowledged as she shoved a spoonful of poorly cooked rice in her mouth.
Abubakar Adamu, a resident of Sabon Pegi, who described the tragedy in tears, disclosed that “many lives were lost, especially children. We’re still trying to confirm the exact number of casualties buried and washed away by this ugly disaster.”
He explained that on Sunday evening, he prayed in the mosque with some of his Muslim brothers to seek God’s intervention because planted crops were dying due to the absence of rain for more than one month.
“What happened is a big lesson for those who believe in God. His plans are different from humans’ thinking. For me, that is the lesson I learned from this flood disaster,” he said.
Another victim, John Audu, also told Arewa PUNCH that his family members were sleeping when he noticed that flood had taken over his sitting room and his children’s bedroom.
“The water came so fast, we couldn’t take anything. The only option left was how to escape. It was difficult because we all woke up from our respective deep sleeps, and it was completely dark. Where to follow was another difficult decision, but God that brought the rain showed us our escape route,” he said.
Audu said his wife and two of his children were still receiving medical care at the hospital.
According to some of the victims, many of whom narrowly escaped, over 600 houses have been washed away and several more still in pain and tears laced with apprehension and anguish as they scavenge around looking for the remains of their loved ones who are still missing.
So bad was the situation that Governor Ahmadu Fintiri had to cut short his official trip and returned to Yola to access the situation himself.
The governor, who arrived at the Yola International Airport at 1:45pm on Monday, went straight to the affected communities in the Yola-South Local Government Area to offer condolences to the victims.
At the temporary displacement camp at Yelewa primary school, the governor met with displaced families, expressed his grief, and reassured them of the government’s commitment to provide relief materials to reduce their hardship.
He announced that the state government would immediately set up a technical committee in collaboration with the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency and the National Emergency Management Agency to assess the full scale of the damage caused by the flood.
“We will constitute a technical committee to carry out a thorough assessment. Based on their findings, we will take concrete steps to assist affected residents,” he stated.
While addressing the victims in the camp, the governor also criticised individuals using the tragedy to spread misinformation and incite political tension.
“This is not a time for politics or finger-pointing. It’s a time for unity and action,” he said.
