NEMA Tasks Stakeholders On Disaster Management

T

he National Emer
gency Management Agency (NEMA) has called for a comprehensive disaster management efforts by stakeholders to mitigate the impact of disaster in Nigeria.

The South-East Coordinator of the agency, Dr?Bamidele Onimode, made the call during a one- day workshop on ‘Comprehensive Disaster Management and 2014 Flood Prevention, Mitigation and Preparedness” in?Owerri.

He said the agency organised the workshop in collaboration with the Imo State Emergency Management Agency to educate stakeholders on important roles they should play when disaster occurs.

Bamidele, in his paper titled, ‘Comprehensive Disaster Management in Nigeria’, said the event was to enhance the emergency strategies of stakeholders in the zone in the event of any emergency.

He noted that the prediction for the 2014 seasonal rainfall indicated that states in the South-East would record a lot of rainfall.

“Seasonal rainfall prediction for 2014 indicates that states in the South-East zone will have an average of 263 days of rainfall and these will be?characterised?with storms and the intensities of these rains will be very high.

“What is more worrisome is the dry cell which we call the August break, this year’s own, will be longer than the previous year’s own and we need to be aware of it too,’’ he noted.

He advised people in the habit of dropping solid wastes in?water channels to stop it, adding that such acts helped to compound the effects of flooding.

In her address, the Executive Secretary, Imo State Emergency Management Agency, Mrs Uche?Ezeonyeasi, stressed the need for government to reintroduce the monthly sanitation exercise in the state.

She noted that since the exercise was stopped about three years ago, some residents of Imo had ?stopped participating in environmental cleaning, noting that most streets in?Owerri?now look dirty.

“People build on waterways, throw away solid wastes in the water?drains?and?Owerri?is becoming dirty unlike during the time the state holds the monthly sanitation exercise,’’ she said.

Ezeonyeasi?enumerated the efforts of the state government in checking disaster to include establishment of 16 rehabilitation centres, expanding of water?drainages?in?Owerri,?among others.

Participants to the workshop were drawn from the Police, NSCDC, FRSC, the Red Cross, Army, the Imo Ministries of Agriculture and Environment as well as the media.