NEMA To Train 154,800 For Emergency Vanguards

A Total of 154,800 persons in the 774 local government areas of the federation will soon be engaged for training as vanguard for Emergency Management by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

The South-South Co-ordinator of NEMA Mr. Emenike Umesi, made the disclosure Wednesday, while speaking with The Tide in Port Harcourt.

The co-ordinator said in order to create more awareness, NEMA is committed to increasing its sensitisation effort at the grassroot to enable many more persons to be abreast with the control of emergency disasters.

Mr. Umesi appealed to those residing at the various local government areas to co-operate with NEMA on the sensitisation programme to enable them set up the grassroot emergency vanguard that would be in regular touch with the state and national body.

He said 150 youths Corp member are already on training by NEMA in each state of the federation, adding that the exercise will continue in each batch of the NYSC service year, to assist the agency disseminate information on emergency control in different parts of the country.

Mr. Umesi hinted that a strong move has been made to set up a state emergency management committee which has the commissioner for special duties as the chairman, adding that a bill will soon be presented to the state House of Assembly for the release of a take-off grant.

According to him, the committee is presently working and “as soon as the agency is put in place, it will carry out its legitimate function as emergency management committee.”

He appealed to the Rivers State Government to appoint credible persons that would form part of the emergency management committee that would work diligently in the interest of humanity.

The co-ordinator said it is only those agencies that are set up by law and are provided for adequately in the budget, that would be required in such emergency management issues.