Bakassi: NEMA Resettles Displaced S’East Indigenes

The South-East Zonal office of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has commenced the process of resettling 342 indigenes of the zone displaced from Bakassi Peninsula.

Dr Bandele Onimode, the South East Coordinator of NEMA announced this last Thursday in Enugu while briefing journalists on the activities of the agency last year.

The coordinator said that the agency would collaborate with the two state governments to ensure their resettlement.

“The agency has urged the state governments to allocate some parcels of land to it to develop just like the camp in Cross River where houses were built for similar victims,” he said.

Onimode also commended an NGO known as VOCAS for its efforts in resettling some of the victims in Imo and pledged to work with them in the final resettlement.

He said that the agency achieved a lot in the past one year including donation of relief materials to some victims of disasters in the zone.

“In Abia, we provided relief materials to victims of rainstorm in Arochukwu. In Anambra, we brought succour to flood victims at Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area, Ihiala and Awka municipality.

“There is ongoing delivery of materials to flood victims at Ogbaru, Anambra West and East as well as Onitsha North,” Onimode said.

He said that other beneficiaries were from Ebonyi, Ngwo in Enugu and Ngor Okpala, Owerri and Ezinihite in Imo.

The coordinator said agency inaugurated NYSC emergency vanguard using corps members to serve as agents of change and trianed their staff on disaster management as well

as improved their welfare packages.

He commended the new Director General of NEMA, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Sidi for introducing reforms to improve the agency including prompt release of relief materials to victims of disasters.

Onimode, however, attributed challenges facing the agency in the zone to include the lack of political will by governments, poor attitude of Nigerians to disaster management and a lack of fund.

On the general elections, the coordinator said the agency would hold an interactive session with security agencies, the police, military, and the SSS on contingency plans for tackling security problems during the elections.