By John Bulus
The total sum of N22m was last week released by Gombe state government to rehabilitate the flood victims. Sequel to speculations that the funds and items purchased may be hijacked by politicians and corrupt officials, the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA says it was going to supervise the exercise.
Respite may have finally come the way of Gombe State flood victims who have been taking refuge at a temporary camp opened at Lawanti Primary School, Akko Local Government Area of the State since September this year.
The State Government last week fulfilled its pledge of N22 million made to the victims through the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA.
Already, the money has been used for the purchasing of most items ranging from food items, building items, clothings, household items, mattresses, cements, woods, blankets, mats, buckets and plastics and handed down to Gombe Local Government where which appears to be worst hit with about 13 flood ravaged areas.
While the materials are yet to be distributed, the Director, Admin and Finance, DAF as well as Desk officer handling Emergencies in the State Emergency management Agency, SEMA Hajiya Laraba Ahmed Kawu, said SEMA will be on ground to supervise the exercise to ensure accountability and transparency following speculations making the rounds that some unscrupulous elements within the circle of power want to corner the items and the money.
She said: "The governor insisted that these materials needed to be bought. So, they were purchased and delivered to Gombe Local Government last week, but they are yet to be distributed. These materials include food items, building items, clothings, household items. We also bought mattresses, cements, woods, blankets, mats, buckets, plastics and all that.
"We will be there when they distribute them. We gave them the list of the persons affected at that material time and they have their representatives. We invited the representative of each ward when we were making the presentation to Gombe Local Government. So, when they are going to be distributed, they will invite us to supervise".
Apart from the materials provided at the instance of the State Government, Hajiya Kawu hinted that SEMA will on Saturday (today) make a presentation of various items provided by the National Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, to the flood victims in the state.
"But we as, SEMA, have some materials from NEMA we are going to the Internally Displaced Persons at Lawanti Primary School on Saturday (today)". 
It could be recalled that a camp was opened at Lawanti Primary School in Akko Local Government Area where over 70 households who are mainly victims of flood rated incidences from wuru village are currently taking shelter. The people have been there since September 15 2012 rainfall that wrecked havoc on the community.
The same rainfall also affected the people of Angwa Yelwa in Kwadon in Yelmatu Deba local Government Area, a suburb of Gombe metropolis. The disaster destroyed over 40 houses just as it killed many live stocks.
Usman Mohammed, a resident of the area and victim of the circumstance who spoke to Journalists described the situation as very terrible, narrating how he escaped the flood.
"The flood got to my chest region as I swam to salvage a few things from the house. The good news is that no body died but over 40 houses were destroyed and more than 35 lives stocks including goats, cows and fowls were also killed".
Also, Jimmy Roster, a resident of the Idi Quarters in Gombe metropolis who had his property submerged by the disaster is however happy that the government has come to their aid.
He said: "If you are affected by this kind of disaster, you feel as if no body is going to help you. But we are so grateful to the Government that they have come to assist us, we the victims. My own case, the walls collapsed and everything in my house was destroyed by the flood."
Other areas in the state where the flood ravaged included Yelmatu Deba, Balanga, Dukku and Gombe Local Government Areas. In Gombe Local Government, about 13 areas were affected: Federal Low Cost, Kundulum, Nasssarawo, Kakagawa, Herowa Gana, Dawaki, Jekadafari, Tudun Wada and others.
At the last count, Gombe, has recorded 14 deaths according to the official records. But analysts chide the number, arguing that the number of deaths has exceeded 14. Similarly, over 90 houses have been destroyed, more than 500 families displaced, several farmlands submerged while several domestic animals have been killed.
