Adhere to signals, warnings and predictions on flood disasters- NEMA

Abiodun Oba |

Nigerians have been advised to always adhere to signals, warnings and predictions on flood disasters given by the Nigerian Metrological Agency (NIMET).

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says that over 5,000 households have been counting their losses following flood disaster this year.

The Coordinator in charge of Sokoto Operations’ Office of NEMA, Malam Sulaiman Muhammad, disclosed this in Gusau on Thursday at the opening ceremony of three-day in-house staff training.

The theme of the training is: “Repositioning, Restructuring and Re-orientation of NEMA Staff and Operations’’.

Muhammad said that16 local governments of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States have been variously affected by flood in this year’s rainy season.

The affected local government areas were: Sabon-Birni, Kebbe, Tangaza, Goronyo, Wamakko and Illela in Sokoto State; and Argungu, Maiyama, Birnin-Kebbi, Shanga, Bunza and Danko Wasagu in Kebbi State.

He said that Maru, Tsafe and some parts of Gusau Local Government were affected in Zamfara.

“We have already conducted an assessment of over 5,000 houses that were affected by the disaster in these LGAs.

“We have forwarded the record to our headquarters in Abuja for relief assistance,’’ he said.

“You know that every year around March, the NIMET normally issues annual rainfall predictions and give information on likely flood-prone areas.

“Also NEMA sensitises all stakeholders every year, particularly the states and local governments.

“We are calling on members of the public to always comply with the information, warnings and signals to avoid and prevent flood disasters in the society,’’ he added.

On the training, Muhammad said it was part of the new policies introduced by the NEMA Director-General, Mr. Mustapha Yunusa-Maihaja, to restructure the agency.

According to him, the training is to enlighten the staff under the Sokoto Operations Office on areas of accountability, finance, punctuality and record keeping.

The coordinator said the agency as mandated by the Federal Government was to provide emergency assistance to disaster victims, therefore, the staff had to work to meet its expectations.

He urged the staff of the agency to always be punctual and committed to their duties.

“We should comply with the rules and regulations of the agency and those of the federal public service.

“I have called on you to wake up; we must face the duties before us with all seriousness, because we have a lot of work to tackle.

“Disasters are common, especially, during this rainy season.

“There are other forms of disasters such as fire incidences, wind and rain storms and banditry attacks, therefore, we should be ready to work every time.

“Furthermore, we should always work as a family to achieve the desired goals of the agency,’’ Muhammad quipped.

Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has pledged to strengthen collaboration with relevant agencies to reposition disaster management in the country.

Mr Matins Ejike, South-south Coordinator of the agency, made the pledge while addressing journalists on Thursday in Port Harcourt.

He said the agency had scheduled coordination meeting across the zones to build frontier with the security traditional rulers and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

According to him, this is part of efforts to unveil the mission of the current Director- General of the agency Mr Mustapha Malhaja.

Ejike said that the meeting, scheduled for Sept. 11, would deliver the new Template of the agency, tagged “repositioning of NEMA”.

“We are determined to take NEMA to a level where it can compete effectively with contemporary disaster management agencies.

“We are rebranding NEMA in terms of programming, public perception, output, community interventions and community education,” he said.

Ejike said that using robust community education; the agency would build resilient communities.

He also said that necessary facilities would be introduced in communities with long history of repeated natural disasters to reduce disaster impact on victims.

Ejike urged victims affected by any form of disaster to table complaints to their respective local governments for appropriate response.

According to him, NEMA shall continue to partner with relevant agencies to ensure relief and palliatives for victims affected by disaster in the country.