Ahead of the impending flood predicted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) in many States across the federation, the Ekiti State governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has called for the intervention of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to mitigate the impact on the state.
The governor, who made the plea when he visited the headquarters of NEMA in Abuja, appreciated the agency and its director-general, Mustapha Ahmed, for the earlier intervention in the flood impact of 2022, saying the tasks of mitigating flood and other natural disasters were so enormous for the state to handle hence the need to seek NEMA’s intervention.
He commended NEMA under the leadership of its director-general for being proactive in the management of disasters in the country, noting that the timely relief intervention by the agency last year provided the much desired succour to the affected persons.
The governor also said as part of their own efforts to address the challenges, the state has started dredging the rivers and clearing all waterways, with adequate sensitization of the people.
He, therefore, asked for partnership of NEMA with the Ekiti State government towards the management of flood, which has been predicted for the year, which may affect many local government areas in Nigeria, including parts of Ekiti State.
He stated that just recently, rainstorm destroyed property worth millions of Naira in Oke-Ako, Ikole local government of Ekiti State.
LEADERSHIP recalls that the downpour, which was accompanied by a heavy whirlwind, destroyed over 105 residential buildings and shops, as well as electric poles.
Meanwhile, one of the victims, Sadiq Ahmed, said the rain, which lasted for over two hours, started normally, but later began blowing off rooftops and destroying electric poles, thereby subjecting the sleepy community to total blackout.
Also speaking at the event, the NEMA director general pledged to support Ekiti State in all necessary ways to mitigate the impact of disaster.
The NEMA boss also called for the establishment of joint committee made up of NEMA staff and staff of Ekiti State government for easier operations and interactions.
He urged the state government to establish Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs) to strengthen grassroots response to disasters.
He commended the governor for proactive steps taken so far on the flood prediction for the year, noting that the governor has demonstrated positive response desired to reduce anticipated flood risk.
The NEMA director general also highlighted the significance of capacity building of human resources for efficient disaster management, as the agency recently facilitated an international executive course in partnership with Bournemouth University, bringing together Nigerian stakeholders including State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) that were trained in Abuja.
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