By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
Governor of Babagana Umara Zulum on Sunday visited Bama town to sympathise with residents affected by a devastating windstorm that destroyed hundreds of homes and claimed lives.
The governor was accompanied by the member representing Bama at the House of Representatives, Engr. Bukar Talba; the Secretary to the Borno State Government, Bukar Tijani; Acting Chief of Staff, Engr. Babagana Mustapha Malumbe; alongside former commissioners and other senior government officials.
During the visit, Governor Zulum announced immediate intervention measures for the affected communities, including the payment of N500,000 to each family that lost a relative in the disaster.
He also directed relevant authorities to commence an urgent assessment of the affected areas to determine the level of destruction and facilitate the provision of assistance based on the extent of damage recorded in each household.
Addressing residents, the governor cautioned against indiscriminate tree felling, which he described as a major contributor to recurring windstorms and environmental degradation in the region.
According to him, existing environmental protection laws must be strictly enforced to curb ecological challenges and reduce the impact of natural disasters.
Governor Zulum further reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the safe and dignified resettlement of all displaced persons currently living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps back to their communities.
Speaking on the scale of the disaster, the Chairman of Bama Local Government, Babagana Barma, disclosed that about 1,200 houses were affected by the windstorm, while four persons lost their lives.
