The Niger State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management has issued a clarification following a miscommunication by the state’s Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Ahmed Yumu. The Commissioner had mistakenly claimed that 6000 trailers of rice had been delivered to flood victims in the Mokwa area.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Ministry’s Director of Media and Strategy, Habibu Wushishi, explained that the figure provided by Yumu was a “slip of the tongue.” According to Wushishi, Yumu had intended to say “6000 bags of rice” instead of “6000 trailers of rice.”
The statement further clarified that the Commissioner’s error came as a result of the immense shock and distress caused by the tragic loss of life and property due to the flooding. “The Commissioner, overwhelmed by the loss of lives and properties of the victims and the stress of managing the disaster, made the slip,” the statement said.
The Ministry confirmed that 6000 bags of rice had been allocated to the victims and are being gradually transported to the affected areas in Mokwa. The clarification comes after the misstatement was aired by Channels Television.
The Ministry also issued an apology for the confusion, accepting full responsibility for the error. “We most sincerely apologise for such a costly mistake and assure the victims that we are committed to ensuring the judicious and equitable distribution of all donated relief materials,” the statement read. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones and properties,” the Ministry added.
In addition to the clarification, the Ministry assured the public that the distribution process would be conducted transparently, ensuring that all relief materials would be fairly allocated to those affected by the disaster.