NEMA Demand’s Legal Backing For State Agencies

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), South South
has canvassed for legal teeth for states Emergency Management Agencies in the
Zone.

The South South NEMA Coordinator, Mr. Emenike Umesi who said
this in an Interactive Forum with Journalists last Friday in Port Harcourt also
called for the establishment of Local Government Emergency Management Agency in
the respective Local Governments in the zone.

Mr. Umesi said that the call has become necessary to
streamline emergency management in the zone.

He said that NEMA needs SEMA and LGEMA to ensure adequate
coordination and coverage of the respective states in the event of emergency
cases.

Mr. Umesi said that the Agency has within the last two
quarters of this year, intervened in several emergency cases in Abuloma and
Okogbe fire disasters as well as the Rumuolumeni boat mishap, all in Rivers
State.

The Agency he said, also intervened in Flood situation in
Edo, Bayelsa, Akwa-Ibom and Cross Rivers State, while approval has been given
for intervention in the market fire disaster, the Biaise flood disaster and
Rumukwachi flood disaster.

He also said that a sensitization programme against water
borne diseases as well as fire prevention was carried out in the zone.

Mr. Umesi said that NEMA also planed to set up Disaster Risk
reduction (DRR) clubs in all secondary schools in the zone, while the Agency
will focus on the role of women in emergency management in this year’s
international day of Disaster which holds on the 13th of October, 2012.

He stressed the need for governments in the zone to embark
on Urban renewal programmes, stressing that an integrated drainage system be
carried out in major towns and cities across the zone to check cases of
flooding in the zone.