Maiduguri Flood Disaster: Time to Recall Dr. Betta Edu For Proper Humanitarian Coordination Approach – IDPs
…Say We Are Witnesses To The Maidugiri Armageddon.
A Coalition of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States, otherwise known as BAY State, have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to achieve proper coordination of the current humanitarian crisis in Maiduguri, recall the suspended Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, to the office immediately.
In a statement issued in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital and made available to journalists, the Coordinator of the Coalition, Mallam Kalam Buktari Kachalla, said, “We were the worst hit, we have no place to call home again, and the flood added unsettling impetus to our misery, and the situation is catastrophic and calamitous.
“These two words aptly capture the mind-boggling, heart-wrenching, and blood-chilling humanitarian disaster, the unprecedented flooding that hit the Borno state capital, which subjected residents, including those of us, the wretched of the earth- the IDPs- to untold hardship. I want to say here that we, the IDPs are witnesses to the Maidugiri Armageddon.
“Let it be on record that the flooding was caused by the collapse of Alua Dam, which overflowed its banks and massively submerged the city, but then the government would have done more to ameliorate the suffering of the people, especially the IDPs if there been proper coordination.”
The coalition regretted that the calamity in Maiduguri has exposed the lack of humanitarian response strategy gap and the nonavailability of coordinating ministries to handle the situation.
“Now, where are the emergency responders? They are far spread and, in most cases, absent. And what about the coordination and execution of rescue and palliative efforts? These, too, are a far cry when juxtaposed with the sheer magnitude of the disaster that struck Maiduguri.
“All the above point to the dearth of leadership and coordination of humanitarian emergencies in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation with no Minister in charge (Dr. Betta Edu, the Minister in Charge of the Ministry has been on suspension since January this year), the stark reality facing victims of the Maiduguri flood disasters and other victims of natural disasters around the country needing humanitarian response, particularly IDPs, is that their fates lie with providence as coordinated humanitarian response and urgent assistance from the relevant government agency.
In this case, the government agency responders, without coordinating with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, may probably come in trickles and get into the wrong hands or may never come at all.
“This grim reality would send goose pimples to anyone who has been following the carnage left behind by the flooding and the precarious humanitarian situation facing the victims”, the coalition added.
Highlighting the enormity of the Maiduguri flood disaster, the Coalition of IDPs said: “For the records over 500,000 people have been displaced and rendered homeless, dead bodies of humans and animals are at common sights as they float in the flood waters all over Maidugiri’s major streets.
In all, over one million persons have been affected by the tragic flooding.
“And rather than channel proper humanitarian needs to victims, government agencies not schooled in humanitarian response strategies are busy buying rice and handing to people who neither have stoves nor firewood to cook anything in the face of the calamity that has befallen them.”
Recalling the capacity of Dr. Edu and her expert in responding to a humanitarian crisis, the group urged President Tinubu to salvage the situation by recalling the Minister back to the office. The Coalition maintained that; “In a nutshell, on behalf of IDPs in the Northeast, we dare say that government humanitarian response strategies as far as the Maiduguri disaster is concerned have not lived up to expectations!
“During her short spell at the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Edu proved herself adept at managing humanitarian challenges and humanitarian response strategies. From Niger state to Cross River, to Benue, Borno, Zamfara, Plateau, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Kogi, and Ogun, among other places where she visited in response to humanitarian emergencies, Dr Edu stamped her strides and capacities as immensely knowledgeable in the nitty-gritty of humanitarian response and poverty Alleviation strategies.
“It wouldn’t be out of place if we at this juncture passionately plead with Mr President to consider recalling Dr Edu to continue with the good job she was doing in the Ministry.
IDPs in Nigeria, particularly in the Northeastern States, are convinced that recalling the young Minister to her job is the proper thing to do at this stage if President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and his vision for vulnerable Nigerians needing humanitarian assistance must leave a meaningful and everlasting impact on them.”
