Sensitization Workshop on Disaster Management..

...17-11-2009

NEMA IN COLLABORATION WITH ASCON HOLDS A SENSITIZATION WORKSHOP ON DISASTER MANAGEMENT FOR PUBLIC OFFICERS AT THE STATE LEVEL IN IBADAN.

As part of the effort of government to create a concerted awareness for its citizenry on the issue of emergency and disaster management in the country, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in collaboration with Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) held a sensitization workshop in Ibadan today 17/11/2009 for the for public officers at the state level.

The Workshop which is titled “Mainstreaming Disaster Management in National Development Policies” is targeted at the senior officers in the public service on GL 12 and above of states public service. It should be recalled that the fifth was recently held in Gombe State with an overwhelming attendance and this is the sixth in its series and the last for the year 2009. The entire exercise is targeted at creating awareness on the issue of disaster and emergency management within the six geopolitical zones of the country.

An address was delivered by the Deputy Governor of Oyo State Alhaji (Dr) Taofeek Oladejo Arapaja who was ably represented by the Commissioner of Special Duties of the State, Dr. Lasisi Adedosu Balogun. He expressed his enthusiasm at the idea of the workshop and the caliber of people in attendance that will become agent of change in the collective bid to strengthen Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). He stated that everybody is vulnerable when it comes to disaster that it is no respecter of class divide or social stratification. In furtherance, he opined that when disaster comes, the fabric of our social and physical environment are threatened which might create a monumental set back.

In a bid to achieve a sustainable disaster management, the workshop was poised to bridge the knowledge gap in the issue of disaster management and to embrace the new paradigm shift to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) among the members of the public service at the state level. It was captured in the words of the Director-General of NEMA, AVM Mohammed Audu-Bida in his keynote address that the world is witnessing an increase in the number of man-made and natural disasters that constantly threaten lives and property. This disaster as he said also disrupts socio-economic activities and leaves million of people in abject poverty. However, the need to have a holistic disaster management is the need for the shift that is DRR, which is gradually gaining recognition and commitment among the governments worldwide.

Moreover, NEMA Boss explained that the Nigeria’s DRR initiatives focus on implementing the Hyogo framework for Action 2005-2015 (HFA) which translates to mean the DRR centres on early warning systems, effective disaster preparedness and response mechanism among others. Therefore, for Nigeria not to play the second fiddle there is the need for the workshop to keep abreast of latest mechanism in disaster management.
In that effective management practices exist, where there is adequate space for the participation of different stakeholders as he captured which includes vulnerable communities, States, Civil Society organisations, volunteers and other development partners. In the same vein, the entire idea was to have an interdisciplinary and inter-Agency participation, collaboration and strategic partnership through regular planning, capacity building, simulations, and training exercises to ensure preparedness and response in disaster management hence the workshop.
The Director General ASCON, Mr. Ajibade A. Peters, represented by Mr. J.F.A. Obaoye - the DS/HOD, EFMS Department of ASCON delivered a goodwill message that captured the DRR issues.