Rivers Plans Emergency Agency

The Rivers State Government plans to create a state-owned emergency agency to tackle emergencies in the state.

Governor Chibuike Amaechi gave the hint when he played host to the Director-General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Sanni Sidi in Government House, Port Harcourt, on Monday.

He said,’’ In no time, the state emergency agency would be set up. I am sure our people will have where they can call in distress”.

Speaking through his Deputy, Engr Tele Ikuru, the governor decried the nation’s poor emergency response system, noting that huge resource, lives and properties could be saved if there was a unified and swift emergency response system.

“As a nation, we still don’t have a proper centre as a command centre capable of responding with such alacrity when an emergency occurs,” Amaechi declared.

He charged the NEMA boss to ensure that he evolves measures to work out a syncronised emergency number as only Port Harcourt and Lagos has such  at present, adding “you must put your feet down and engage the Presidency to give us an emergency number ‘’.

With the creation of a unified emergency number, the governor maintained that disasters and other accidents could have been prevented, pointing out that the lack of such number was responsible for the huge loss of lives to  incidents.

He also, suggested the need for the agency to evolve an  alert system in responding to emergency situations, adding that,’’ I am sure that between relief material and proper response, those who died would have preferred proper response”.

Commenting on what the state was doing to cushion the pains of victims of the tanker fire incident a fortnight ago at Igwuruta, the governor noted that already, government has taken measures. “We have taken census and also going to send something,” he said.

Earlier, Alhaji Sidi had informed the governor that the agency was in the state in regard to the tanker fire incident at Igwuruta.

While commiserating with the governor over the incident, Alhaji Sidi said the agency was poised to reduce the pains of the victims, and therefore has provided relief materials for them.

The NEMA boss congratulated Amaechi for his success at the last polls and for emerging as chairman of Nigeria’s Governor’s Forum, stating, ‘’ you have set a standard for others to follow in this country.”