Executive secretary of Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr Mohammed Goje, has commended the federal government and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for their support to the victims of flood and other disasters in the state.
Goje who disclosed this during an interview with LEADERSHIP, said the agency has upgraded its activities to meet international humanitarian and emergency working standards to ease the difficulties faced by victims of disasters in the state.
He said the tools donated by the federal government which include sewing machines, water pumping machines for irrigation, grinding machines, mattresses, agriculture inputs, food items and several edible items were to help the victims to start small businesses instead of the usual donation of foodstuffs and building materials.
He noted that some of them are affected beyond giving them food items as they have lost their means of livelihood to the disaster, with their farms washed away and foodstuff destroyed.
Speaking to one of the community leaders, who is also village head of Mandunari ward, Lawan Aisami, he urged women in the state to be up and doing so as to be able to assist their husbands in taking care of their homes, stressing that gone were the days when men alone were allowed to shoulder all family responsibilities.
One of the beneficiaries, Zahra Lawan from Pompamari Ward, explained that the gesture was to facilitate a quick return to normalcy in the affected areas.
According to her, this intervention is also expected to drive the sustainable socio-economic resilience of the most vulnerable individuals across the state.
Another beneficiary of sewing machine from Buhari Extension Quarters, Maryam Idriss promised to make good use of the items.
She also commended NEMA for carrying everybody along irrespective of political party affiliation.
One of the rice farmers, Bulama Maina, expressed satisfaction and gratitude for the intense training they received on agricultural business from the NEMA.
He said the importance of human capital development cannot be over emphasised, hence the need to increase the capacity of farmers as well as business people.