The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) yesterday distributed assorted relief materials to victims of recent attacks in Mangu local government area of Plateau State.
NEMA director general, Alhaji Mohammed Habib, said while handing over the materials, that the agency would conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the communities when peace returns.
Habib, who was represented by the North Central zonal director, Alh. Bashir Garga, urged the people to embrace peace and shun violence.
He said it was sad, sickening and demoralising that the attacks kept reoccurring in the state.
He described Mangu as one of the most enterprising local government areas in the state.
“This is sad, if this had happened elsewhere, I wouldn’t be bugged or surprised, but an enterprising community like Mangu LGA? It is really sad.
“If you look at the present economic quagmire we found ourselves in this country, it is foolhardy for anybody to embark on killing.
“No human being lives in isolation; we need each other to grow and fulfill our destinies.
“Some of you might think what I am saying is outside the mandate of my organisation, but you know that we have a responsibility to prevent disasters if we can,” Habib said.
He said NEMA offered itself to the various state governments under the Disaster Risk Reduction Initiative to contribute by way of research and making sure people lived peacefully with one another.
“When normalcy is presumed to have returned, when we have assurances from the security operatives on ground, we will, in collaboration with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), go to these places and have on-the-spot assessments to ascertain the causes of the unfortunate incidents.
“My organisation is empowered in the realm of disaster reduction to avoid collusion between hazards and vulnerabilities.
“When you have hazards in place and the people are vulnerable, it falls on us to make sure the two don’t meet,” he said.
He listed the food and non-food items distributed to include 2,832 bags of 10kg rice, 2,832 bags of 10kg beans, and 2,832 bags of 10kg garri.
Others included 100 kegs of 20 litres vegetable oil, 100 kegs of palm oil (20 litres), 1,000 pieces of mattresses, 1,500 pieces of mosquito nets, 1,500 pieces of nylon mats, and 1,500 pieces of wax prints, among many others.
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