Business
NEMA Wants LEMC In LGAs
The National Emergency Agency (NEMA), has advocated the establishment of legal backing for Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC) at the 774 Local Government levels throughout the country.
This is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a one-day workshop in Lafia organised by the agency.
According to the communiqué, the LEMC is necessary to strengthen mechanisms for effective disaster management policy in view of the prediction by NIMET on imminent floods in 2013.
The workshop has the theme, “2013 flood prevention, mitigation, preparedness and strengthening mechanism for community-based disaster early warning system’’.
It said that the legal backing if granted would enable the local governments to set up local emergency management committees, which would be responsible for handling disaster-related issues at that level.
“This measure will strengthen the mechanism for disaster management across quotas with NEMA at the Federal level, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), at the state and the LEMC at the local level.
“It will also ensure effective awareness campaign on prevention, mitigation and disaster management generally through holistic community participation”.
The communiqué said that establishing the LEMC would encourage the full participation of youths and children in disaster management, particularly in respect of early warning system.
“The committee will help in identifying vulnerable communities, creation of waterways, awareness and sensitisation campaigns to flood-prone areas,” the communiqué noted.
It added that it would also facilitate the clearing of gutters and proper disposal of waste at safe dumping sites at the local government level.