President Bola Tinubu has directed Vice-President Kashim Shettima to, immediately, visit Maiduguri, capital of Borno State, over the devastating flood in the state capital and its environs.
Shettima disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja, at the 17th Annual Banking and Finance Conference with the theme,” Accelerated Economic Growth and Development: the state of play and the way forward.”
“After this meeting with the consent of the President, I will rush to Maiduguri. The whole city has been overtaken by flood. It is not peculiar to one part of the country. We are facing this challenges right from Bayelsa to Sokoto.
“Be rest assured that the President has the nation at heart and will do whatever it takes to salvage the state of affairs,” he said
Shettima expressed the sympathy of President Tinubu’s administration to all the victims of flood disasters nationwide.
“I want to use this forum to commiserate with the people of our great nation over the flood disasters we are recording all across the length and breath of this nation,” he said.
Thousands of residents of Maiduguri have been displaced by flood, following the collapse of water channels at the Alau Dam.
The flood submerged residential quarters, roads and bridges, making many areas in the metropolis inaccessible.
The flood submerged strategic areas including parts of the Shehu of Borno Palace, Maiduguri Central Market and University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
Other areas badly hit included the GRA, Maiduguri Zoo, College of Nursing, College of Agriculture and School of Health Technology, among others.
Many residents were seen evacuating basic items to areas considered relatively safer, with some youths erecting sandbags to prevent water from entering their quarters.
The state government is yet to issue official figures of casualties, but it has ordered the closure of public and private schools for two weeks.
Meanwhile, the university of Maiduguri in Borno State has been closed till further notice, following the devastating flood.
The university management announced the temporary closure in a statement on Tuesday by its registrar, Ahmad Lawan, sympathising with staff members and students affected by the disaster.
The statement read, “This is ot inform all staff and students that in view of the devastating flood disaster that is affecting Maiduguri and its environment, the university management is hereby suspending all lectures in the university and closing offices temporarily with immediate effect until the situation improves.
“The measures are taken by the management to safeguard staff and students and to assess the situation before further necessary actions are taken.
“The management is extending its heartfelt sympathy to all staff and students affected by the flood disaster and pray God to forestall future occurrence.”
