President directs federal agencies to support flood disaster victims

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed solidarity with Nigerians across the states affected by floods and directed all Federal Government agencies “to use their authority and resources to assist the victims affected by the natural disaster’’.

Malam Garba Shehu, the president’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, said the new directive was conveyed through the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Mustapha Maihaja.

According to him, the President has requested that any such agency that failed to assist should be reported to him.

The President expressed his sympathies to all families who lost property and their loved ones arising from the floods.

While noting that the loss of lives cannot be compensated, Buhari assured Nigerians that his administration would minimize the suffering and misery of citizens affected by the disaster.

It would be recalled that Buhari had on Sept. 14 delegated authority to the NEMA Director-General to declare a “national disaster’’ in the event that anticipated flooding turns a reality in parts of the country.

“The NEMA DG is mandated to coordinate a national response to emergency situations and in doing so, empowered to direct any or all agencies of government to use their authority and resources to offer assistance to victims affected by the floods,’’ Shehu said.