NEMA Moves To Foster Unity Among Disaster Management Stakeholders

National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), yesterday, organised a stakeholders’ meeting amongst disaster management stakeholders to foster unity among them while on duty.
The stakeholders’ meeting had, as its theme: “Duties, Functions and Responsibilities of Stakeholders in Disaster Management.”
In his address of welcome, Head of Operations, Ekiti Operations Office, Mr Olarenwaju Kadiri, said that the meeting was aimed at improving the synergy already established by agencies and organisations to effectively manage disasters.
the Ekiti operations office is in charge of Ekiti, Ondo and Osun states.
Kadiri said that disaster management in the states and Nigeria at large was demanding, adding that several measures had been put in place by the Federal Government to ensure effective and efficient disaster management.
He said that very soon, the agency would begin an advocacy to help prevent and reduce erosion in the zone.
The NEMA head of operations said that the agency was working hand-in-hand with all the state emergency management agencies on how to cope when disaster happened.
“It is no news that the various agencies/organisations in the business of disaster management have specific duties, functions and responsibilities assigned to them to ensure that the purpose of their existence is actualised.
“That is the main reason I consider it important that we all gather here today to remind ourselves of the duties, functions and responsibilities assigned to each of us as disaster managers,” he said.
Kadiri noted that timely response and smooth collaboration amongst relevant agencies was key to ensuring that disasters were effectively managed and reduced to the barest minimum.
Also speaking, Secretary to Ondo State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr Femi Obideyi, said that the strategic meeting would chart ways forward in making the agencies work together to reduce disaster outbreaks.
Obideyi stressed that SEMA was already collaborating with the ministry of environment to clear the drainages in various parts of the state to avoid flooding, as the raining season approached.
He advised residents to adhere strictly to environmental and sanitation laws by keeping the surroundings clean at all times.
One of the participants, Emmanuel Ijato, an Assistant Chief Fire Superintendent, described the stakeholders’ meeting as a good move, adding that it would put the agencies on alert.
The Tide source reports that the participants included representatives of the Nigerian Police Force, Ministry of Health, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) as well as officials of federal and state fire services.