Gov Lists Gains Of Emergency Agency

A bill to give proper legal frame work for the establishment of disaster and emergency response agency will soon be sent to the State House of Assembly/

The Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi disclosed this recently at a one-day stakeholders advocacy meeting for the establishment of Rivers State emergency management Agency, organized by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) South-South Zonal Office in collaboration with UNICEF.

The Governor, represented by the Commissioner for Special Duties, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya said, the bill when passed into law would address the issue of planning and coordination during emergencies. The Commissioner revealed that, the agency when established will be made up of technocrats and would be an independent body that would directly report to the Governor.

He decried the absence of proper planning for emergency as an act of negligence by any government, stressing that the bill seeks to compel Chief Executives of corporate organizations , local government councils and the citizens who are stakeholders to take care of emergency situations when they occur.

In her good will message, the Commissioner of Information, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari represented by the Director of Public Enlightenment in the Ministry, Mr. Rufus Direh emphasized the need for journalists to be actively involved in emergency operations. She assured NEMA of the support of the Ministry in publicising their programmes and activities, stressing that NEMA should not withhold information from journalists.

Earlier the South-South Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Mr. Emenike Umesi had told the stakeholders of the need to form the State Emergency management Agency  SEMA to coordinate all disaster and emergency cases in the state, adding that, the approach to emergency in the state lacks focus without SEMA.

Also speaking, the UNICEF representative, Mrs Maureen Zubie-Okolo assured that Unicef would continue to support the government in achieving its aims, especially for children and women during disasters and emergencies.

Highlight of the day was the presentation of papers by eminent personalities and an interactive session.