22 Die In Auto Crash

No fewer than 22 persons lost their lives in the various road accidents that occurred in Enugu State during the Christmas celebrations last year.

The National Emergency Management Agency [NEMA] South East Coordinator, Dr Abdullahi Bandele Onimode, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen in his office on Thursday on the activities of the agency in the South East zone for the past one year.

Out of the 223 persons that were involved in the accidents, he stated, 84 sustained various degrees of injuries, while 22 lost their lives, adding that a total of 43 vehicles were involved in the accidents.

Dr Onimode, however, regretted that about 90 per cent of victims of the accidents were indigenes of Enugu State, appealing to governors of the five states in the South East to provide towing vans to enable the agency remove broken down vehicles from the roads during festive periods.

The South East NEMA boss, stated that his zone, in compliance with the headquarter’s directives, organised a training programme in collaboration with “the National Youth Service Corps known as NEMA/NYSC Vanguards of Disaster Management and code named ‘Taking Disaster Management to the grassroots”

According to him, the programme was aimed at engaging and training mobilised corps members who have volunteered themselves towards community based disaster management efforts as vanguards.

He, therefore, expressed satisfaction that following the tremendous success achieved in the zone during the programmes, a special edition of the programme was also held on senatorial basis, Anambra South comprising Ihiala, Ekwusigo , Orumba North, Orumba South, Nnewi North, Nnewi South and Aguata Local Government Areas.

His words; “Fifty volunteers were trained from each Local Government Area making a total of 350 volunteers trained at the same time who in turn would serve as trainers in subsequent launch at their various Local Government Areas.”

Dr Onimode stated further that the agency in his zone was also involved in a joint patrol between it{NEMA}, The Federal Road Safety Commission{FRSC}, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp{NSCDC}’ and the Nigerian Police Force.

He disclosed that the programme, which was the brain child of NEMA, commenced on Monday December 22, 2008 and terminated on Saturday January 3, 2009, adding that it was aimed at ensuring reduced or accident free period for returnees for the Christmas season and other road users within the period.

The agency’s ambulances, he stated further, were used during the period to assist accident victims, adding that the zonal office participated actively in traffic monitoring especially at the head bridge, Onitsha .

Dr Onimode added that within the past one year, the Zonal Office “has through advocacy visits and collaboration with the states seen to the passage of various acts establishing SEMA in the states”

According to him, Ebonyi State was already receiving attention, adding that “it is our hope that before the end of the legislative year, the bill will see the light of the day.

He assured that NEMA was putting in place, contingency arrangements for heavy disasters, assuring that the agency was battle ready for disasters.

Continuing, Dr Onimode revealed that the zonal office was also at Warri during the JTF/militant face off in the region and gave relief assistance to the victims of the crisis.

Dr Onimode, however, appealed for more funding for the south East Zone and vehicles, expressing happiness that the head of the agency was already working hard to address some of the problems facing NEMA in the various states.

Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (right) welcoming his excellency, Kingsley Nabolo, South Africa’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, during a courtesy visit to Government House, Port Harcourt, recently. Photo: Ibioye Diama