FCT NYSC Registers 200 Emergency Volunteers

The National Youth Service Corps in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja has registered about 200 corps members in its Emergency Management Vanguard (EMV), a group championing campaigns on disaster risk reduction in the country.

The coordinator of EMV group in AbujaMr Joel Mambula disclosed this at a weekend (Friday June 19, 2009) during a presentation of exercise books by one of the member of the group, Joleyemi Oluwafemi to some schools in Abuja.

The coordinator said the campaign by the scheme in collaboration with National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has achieved tremendous success by contributions of corps members who have shown a lot of enthusiasm in addressing problem bedevilling the nation through advocacy and public awareness campaigns on natural and man-made disaster.

Mr. Mambula who commended NEMA for supporting and encouraging corps members in their community development programmes and individual projects pointed out that so far more corps members had initiated and undertaken personal projects that had benefitted their places of primaries assignment and host communities.

He said that NEMA should ensure that the Emergency Management Vanguard scheme is introduced in all the NYSC camps and 36 states just he said a set of corps members would be passing out on July 7, 2009.

In his remark at the occasion, an official from NEMA who represented the agency, Mr. Babatunde Olowookere, said NEMA in collaboration with NYSC would soon extend the EMV programme to all the states of the federation from the six states from geopolitical zones and FCT. He further announced that to encourage corps members for more commitment the Director General of NEMA, AVM Mohammed Audu-Bida has instituted some awards for best deserving corps members whose activities has impacted positively in reducing disasters in the country.

The corps member whose project was launched at the occasion, Joleyemi Oluwafemi, said he was inspired to embark on sensitive aspects of human’s life (Disaster management/ control) by providing 1500 copies of higher Education notebook that have useful information on disaster management /control, Emergency Hotlines and sign board for public awareness. Most of public secondary in Wuse Area of Abuja were beneficiaries of donation.

Emergency Management Vanguard (EMV), which was a collaborative programme between NYSC and NEMA has registered over 1000 members in its pilot states of Lagos, Kaduna, Enugu, Borno, Rivers, Plateau and FCT. Membership of EVM is a voluntary for corps members who are trained on disaster risk reduction and kitted with information materials like fliers, face caps, T shirts, information booklets and guide books. The scheme has strengthened information dissemination and awareness campaign to the general public on disaster management through corps members who serve as vanguard for disaster management nationwide.

Yushau A. Shuaib
Head of Press and Public Relations
GSM: 0803-5555-999