NEMA Challenges State Governments On The Establishment Of SEMA

3rd December 2009

NEMA challenged the State Governments to establish State Emergency Management Agency. Considering the rising climate change with the attendant negative environmental impact and its unseemly implications on the well-being of the people globally, NEMA intoned the imperativeness of preparing for emergency and disaster situations to be able to cater for the need of the citizenry when they occur.

Particularly in a time like this that climate change is affecting the world, it is very important for the sake of the people that the state emergency agency be created. The Agency chose to make a full proof of its mandate in collaboration with UNICEF by moving to the next level of creating awareness and preparing Akwa-Ibom state for proactive emergency management. The issue of children and women received centre stage approach overall as being the most prone to disaster and emergency when they occur.

Godswill Akpabio, Governor of Akwa-Ibom State said the state is undergoing an unprecedented pace of social and infrastructural development and the need to reduce disasters is very essential. As such, it is urgent for the state to incorporate risk reduction policies of prevention, mitigation, response and recovery into the development efforts of the state otherwise the monumental achievements in social and physical infrastructures can be lost to disaster of any kind. The governor also said that owing to the appreciable efforts of the National Emergency Management Agency that the federal government immediately ensures the adequate funding of the agency with modern search and rescue paraphernalia, efficient communication and other facilities that will enhance its disaster risk reduction strategies.

The Director General of NEMA AVM Audu-Bida (rtd) stated that the need for the creation of EMAs is paramount for Akwa-Ibom State in that the shift in emergency management has moved to preparedness, mitigation, response and control, which is captured as Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) unlike what used to obtain before now. The essence of the creation of the SEMA is subsumed in the fact that its availability will help the state to have a proper plan in place in line with prevention, mitigation and control of emergency and disaster situation to help the people in the state in the face of any eventuality. Harping on the fact that there is a need for the state to establish a well funded Emergency Management Agency in order to alleviate the suffering of the people of the state. No one prays for emergency or disaster but most times, they do not warn before they happen. However, with the establishment of a state EMA, potential areas of disaster could be identified and likely emergency and disaster be prevented through early warning system and alert.

Audu-Bida further said, “Without a platform in the state, NEMA, UNICEF and other collaborative and development partners will not be able to operate a robust Emergency Agency in the state”. He stated that it has become expedient to ensure that all uphold Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), which is the new tilt in emergency management. In this regard, the more states involvement in the issue of emergency and disaster management the better for the nation as a whole.

In a high profile meeting that drew major stakeholders, members of the international community, UNICEF, Akwa-Ibom State Government and a host of other partners, NEMA in collaboration with UNICEF initiated a meeting with the Akwa-Ibom State Emergency Management Committee on the behest of the Governor of the state to establish a state emergency agency in the state. Although before now there has been a functional working committee in place but not backed by law. As such, the meeting is set to pave way for a functional and constitutional state emergency agency which is set to be in full operation in a record time.

UNICEF along the line of its mandate on child’s right protection captured the vulnerability of children and women in the face of emergency and disaster. Maureen Zubie-Okolo representing UNICEF pointed out the urgency needed in creating an emergency management agency in the state in that in her observation that 75% of the population of Akwa-Ibom state comprises of women and children and these people are most vulnerable in the issue of emergency and disaster situation as such, the issue of creating a state emergency agency is a must. Also, going by the conceptual framework of the United Nations definition of Disaster Risk Reduction, it is described as elements considered with the possibilities to minimize vulnerabilities and disaster risks throughout a society, to avoid (prevention) or to limit (mitigation and preparedness) the adverse impacts of hazards, within the broad context of sustainable development. This was attuned more to the need for children’s well-being in any emergency and disaster situations