RVHA Set To Debate SEMA Bill

A bill seeking to establish the Rivers State Emergency
Management Agency (SEMA), has been presented to the state House of Assembly for
consideration.

The bill which has scaled through the first session of the
House by the member representing Opobo/Nkoro constituency in the Assembly Hon.
Anderson Miller as a private member bill.

Hon. Miller explained that he came up with the bill,
realizing that the state has not been able to copy with disaster management
cases that occurred in the recent past and attributed it to the absence of the
agency in the state.

The lawmaker cited several recent emergency situations like
the Igwuruta tanker fire incident which occurred in Ikwerre local government
area that wiped out a family leaving only a little child as survival, the
Okogbe tanker fire were scores of persons lost their lives and many injured as
well as the Egi gas leak among other disaster cases.

According to the bill sponsor, “the Agency will be saddled
with the duty of responding to any disaster within the state and may seek
assistance from the national Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) when damage and
need assessment overwhelm the state’s capacity”.

Hon. Miller, explained that the Agency when established will
educate and inform the public on disaster prevent facilitate within the state
provision of necessary resources for search and resue operations.

When passed into law, he said the Agency will collate data
from relevant agencies on disaster and risk areas in the state such that it
would enhance forecasting, planning and field operation of disaster management.

The Tide gathers that the agency shall also establish
communication links with foreign disaster management agencies, including
institutions performing functions similar to those carried out by the Agency,
to exchange information and to have access to international expertise in and
assistance in respect of disaster management.

Hon. Miller suggested a Governing Board to be chaired by the
Governor of the state, one representative of the Ministry of Social Welfare,
Health, Works, State fire service, Environment, the Nigeria Police Force,
federal Road Safety Corps the Nigerian red Cross Society, Rivers State Traffic
management  Agency among other with the
Executive Secretary of the Agency as Secretary.

He therefore appealed to the State Lawmakers to give the
bill a favourable consideration to fill the yearning gap. However, no date has
been fix for the debate on the private member bill.