Shettima Visits Maiduguri, Sympathises With Flood Victims

Vice President Kashim Shettima has assured Nigerians that the administration of President Bola Tinubu will tackle the challenges of perennial flood in the country, saying that a comprehensive roadmap aimed at addressing the issue head-on has already been developed.

The Vice President gave the assurance when he visited Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Tuesday, for an on-the-spot assessment of the ravaging floods that have displaced communities in the state.

In a statement by his spokesman Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima, a former governor of Borno State, described the disaster as the most catastrophic flood in Maiduguri in over three decades.

He regretted that despite the implementation of comprehensive contingency plans and proactive measures adopted to mitigate potential impacts in response to the 2024 flood outlooks, the severity of the flood in Maiduguri has far exceeded the government’s estimates.

While commiserating with the victims, the Vice President said the President did not only express his “deepest sympathies but has also assured that the federal government will prioritise the welfare of the affected communities”.

The flood which began over the weekend has worsened. Authorities have blamed it on the excess water from the Alau Dam and the collapse of the spillways which has unleashed a significant surge of water downstream, causing widespread flooding in the surrounding communities.