The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), says it is now committed to disaster risk reduction (DRR) rather than disaster management.

The South-South Co-ordinator of NEMA, Mr Umesi Emenike disclosed this in Port Harcourt when Senior Course 33 of the Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State visited him in his office recently.

Mr Emenike disclosed that, “the hyogo (South Korea) framework for action (2005-2015) which NEMA is working on represents five goals and priorities for action on disaster risk reduction over a 10-year period.”

“Ensuring that disaster risk reduction is a national and local priority with a strong institutional basis for implementation. Identifying assess and monitor disaster risk and enhance early warning, among others.”

The NEMA co-ordinator said that to actualise the paradigm shift on disaster risk reduction, his office had embarked on the following activities; setting up of volunteer services, trainings, awareness campaigns, simulation exercises, workshops and meetings with stakeholders.

He noted that challenges such as lack of awareness of disaster risk reduction, political will, funding, lack of legal framework at states and local levels are militating against smooth operations in the zone.

“It may interest you to know that more than 10 of NEMA, almost all the states in South South do not have legally established agencies and local emergency management committees”, he said, adding that, “if states and local governments have their bodies, that makes our job much betters.”

Answering question on the number of cases the agency had recorded, the co-ordinator said NEMA had recorded 78 disaster cases between 2006 and 2010.

He further stated that epidemics like measles, gastroenteritis, man-made disasters, like oil spillage, pipeline vandalisation, communal violence and militancy were other kinds of disaster experienced in the Niger Delta region.

Speaking, the Deputy Commandant, Staff College, Jaji stressed the need for a contingency plan for the zone observing what he tagged, ‘a lacuna’ between NEMA and states in the South-South zone on disaster co-ordination.

He advised that, “We must be proactive on issues of disaster as a people. States and local government should establish offices so as not to abandon disaster jobs to NEMA alone.”

“Disaster management is a collective thing and lack of structures in the South-South zone will not only affect the zone, but Nigeria in leverage funds form international organs in events of disaster here,” he noted.