Bama: Zulum shares N400m, food, textiles to over 90,000 vulnerable residents, groups
More than 90,000 vulnerable male and female residents as well as community groups on Wednesday in Bama, Borno State received about N400 million alongside thousands of bags of food and textiles as humanitarian support and social protection on the second day of the visit of Governor Babagana Zulum.
Zulum arrived Bama on Monday as he approaches his third day of undertaking humanitarian and developmental activities.
According to a 2016 assessment report co-authored by the World Bank, the EU, United Nations and the Federal Government, Bama is identified as the worst affected by Boko Haram’s destructions and displacement, hence the state government’s special attention on areas of reconstruction and humanitarian aid.
Governor Zulum, from early morning on Wednesday, flagged off the distribution in front of the Shehu of Bama’s palace amidst the gathering of thousands of beneficiaries.
More than 60,000 male residents each received two bags of rice and maize while 30,000 female residents each received a wrapper and N5,000 cash.
The cash and food distributions took place at four locations. Three of these were in Bama town and one at Gurusoye, a village on the outskirt of the town.
Governor Zulum was directly involved in coordinating the aid distribution to ensure substantial reach and transparency.
The governor also met and approved cash and food support to numerous groups, including those of volunteers, elders, different levels of traditional rulers who help in intelligence gathering.
Various sums of money were released to the groups depending on their numbers in order to enhance access to livelihoods as residents gradually return to farming and other businesses, which were hitherto hampered by violent activities of insurgents.
Speaking to journalists, Governor Zulum revealed that substantial quantity of the food he shared came from the food launched by President Muhammadu Buhari as special support for the North-East, during the 2022 World Humanitarian Day which held on August 18 in Maiduguri.
He said the rice, in thousands of bags, came from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development through its establishments: the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
The governor conveyed his deepest gratitude to President Buhari, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, Comptroller General of the Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) and heads of NEDC and NEMA for their compassion towards Borno people.
