As the death toll in the flooding caused by heavy downpour that wreaked havoc in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State rose to 52, Yemi Osinbajo, Vice President, Tuesday, assured that the Federal Government would assist victims of the disaster.
Osinbajo, who gave the assurance when he visited the state to commiserate with the affected victims, noted that the Federal Government will avert future re-occurrence of the unfortunate incidence.
It will be recalled that the downpour which lasted hours claimed lives of 52 persons, left 20 missing, destroyed more than 500 houses and killed 260 livestock dead and washed away farmlands in the area.
The Vice President, who was in company of Katsina Governor Aminu Bello Masari; Engr. Mustapha Maihajia, the Director General, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA; and his State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA counterpart, Dr. Aminu Waziri, visited the makeshift camp for the internally displaced persons at the Muhammadu Rabiu Model Primary School complex, Jibia.
Addressing the displaced persons, Osinbajo said he was in the state on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying, “The President has told me to assure everybody that where compensation is necessary, we will compensate.
“We shall make sure that this sort of thing does not repeat itself again. We pray this kind of thing does not repeat itself again.
“As Nigerians, we all deserve to live our lives happily, we deserve to be treated well, and the president has assured everybody that working with the state government, we will do all that is necessary.
“Where compensation is necessary, we will compensate, where rebuilding is necessary, we will do so,” he stated.
Osinbajo, was, however, conducted round the affected areas and the Jibia River bank which is the source of the flooding.