The National Emergency Management  Agency (NEMA) says it is now committed to Disaster Risk Reduction (PRR), rather than disaster Management.

The South-South Cordinator of NEMA, Mr Umesi Emenike disclosed this when senior course 33 of the command and staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State visited the zonal office of NEMA in Port Harcourt, recently.

“The hyogo ( South Korea) frame work for action (2005-2015) which NEMA is working on represents five goals and priorities fro action on disaster risk reduction over a 10 –year period.

“Ensuring that disaster risk reduction is a national and local priority with a strong institutional basis for implementation. Identity assess and monitor disaster risk and enhance early warning, among others”, he said.

Emenike said that  to actualise  the paradigm shift on disaster  risk reduction, his office had embarked on the following activities, setting  up of volunteer services, trainings, awareness campaigns, simulation exercises workshops and meetings with stakeholders.

He noted that challenges such as lack of awareness of disaster risk reduction, political will, funding, lack of legal framework at states and  local levels are militating against smooth operations in the zone.

“It may interest you to know that moiré than 10 of NEMA, almost all the states in South-South do not have legally established offices for states emergency management agencies and local emergency management committees”, he said.

 Responding to a question from a staff, Emenike said NEMA’s job like its counterparts across the world was coordination during disasters and emergency. He said, “if states and local government have their bodies that makes our job much better”.

The NEMA coordinator also disclosed that the agency had recorded 78 disaster cases between 2006 and 2011.

He said that the zone is vulnerable to disaster such as erosion, flooding, windstorm, rainstorm, communal clashes, landslide, fires, air, water pollution from oil exploration and refining activities.

He said that epidemics such as measles, gastroenteritis, man-made disaster like oil spillage, pipeline vandalisation  communal violence  and militancy were other kinds of disaster experienced in the Niger Delta region.

Speaking, the Deputy Commandment Staff College Jaji, Rear Admiral Dele Ezeoba emphassised the need for a contingency plan for the zone. He observed what he called, “a lacuna” between NEMA and states in the south-south on disaster coordination.

“We must be proactive on issues of disaster as a people. States and  local governments should establish offices so as not to abandon disaster jobs to NEMA alone”.

“Disaster management is a collective thing and lack of structures in the South/South zone will not only affect the zone, but Nigeria in leverage funds from interAbia Deputy Gov denies Dumping PDP

Boni Okoro,   Umuahia