Dangote chairs fund raising committee for flood victims

President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday named businessman Aliko Dangote and Olisa Agbakoba as the Chairmen of a 34-man National Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation with the assignment of  raising funds in support of Government’s efforts to provide urgent relief for victims of recent floods across the country.

President Goodluck Jonathan during the nationwide broadcast today (Tuesday 9/10/12)

The president announced the establishment of the committee during a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday.
“I have also set a National Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation to assist the federal government to raise funds to mitigate the pains and ensure the effective impact rehabilitation of victims”
The committee also  includes members of international agencies, religious organisations, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA).
The Committee has been given the mandate to raise funds to complement government’s resources for the provision of relief to flood victims across the country and the post-impact rehabilitation of affected persons and communities.
The Committee, which is also expected to advise government on the judicious utilisation of funds raised, has been authorised by President Jonathan to co-opt any other persons or organizations that it may find useful in carrying out its assignment.
The committee has been given a 12-month time frame to complete its duties and report back to the president.
The federal government, through the office of the Secretary of the Government of the Federation, will also provide an operational base for the committee as well as logistics that will aid the smooth operation of the committee.
President Jonathan also said the Technical Committee on Flood Impact Assessment has submitted its interim report, which contains recommendations, to key stakeholders and the leadership of the National Assembly and governors of the affected states.
He said the technical committee will continue to go round the country to assess the damage done by the floods while Vice President Nnamadi Sambo will accompany him to visit some areas.
President Jonathan recounted the damage the flood has done and will do to the national treasury saying “the National Emergency management Agency (NEMA) has so far spent N1.314 billion to provide immediate relief materials. The Minister of Works has spent N556 million in the repair of collapsed bridges and the construction of by-passes while the Minister of environment has spent N95 million on sundry relief measures”.
He also approved the sum of N17.6 billion to be distributed to states affected by the flood according to the level of the damages suffered.
“In addition to this the federal government has decided on a number of measures to further ameliorate the situation, these include immediate provision of a total of N17.6 billion in direct financial assistance to the affected states and some federal government agencies responsible for disaster management.”
He said “the states will receive a total of N13.3 billion while the government agencies will receive N4.3 billion.”
The states according to the president have been categorized into four; A, B, C and D.
Category A states which include Oyo, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Adamawa, Delta, Bayelsa and Anambra will receive N500 million each.
The B category comprising of Jigawa, Kano, Bauchi, Kaduna, Niger, Nasarawa, Cross River, Taraba, Imo, Lagos and Edo wil receive N400 million each.
The C category which has Kwara, Katsina, Gombe, Ogun, Ondo, Ebonyi, Abia and Rivers will receive the sum of N300 million each.
The last category, which is D, with Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Yobe, Enugu, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom Borno, Osun states and the Federal Capital Territory will receive N250 million.
The ministries of Environment and Works, NEMA, National Commission for Refugees, Technical Committee on Flood Impact Assessment have been pin pointed by the president as the government agencies that will use the remaining N4.3 billion to mitigate the impact of the flood around the country.