Newly appointed director general of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs Zubaida Umar has urged all staff of the agency to be at their best as they will be held responsible for all their actions.
At her official resumption of office, Umar said she intends to consult widely with the management staff, field officers, and staff of the agency on current administrative and operational strategy with a view to improving areas of deficiencies.
She said, “We must work to earn the trust and confidence of Nigerians in line with this administration renewed hope agenda. To kick start the process, I intend to consult widely with the management staff, field officers, and staff of the agency on current administrative and operational strategy with a view to improving our areas of deficiencies. It will therefore not be business as usual as every staff will be held accountable moving forward.
“There will be no room for toying with people’s lives, disasters or emergencies. I therefore solicit concrete suggestions and ideas on improving the way we do things apart from improving staff welfare and motivation.”
On her plans for the future of the agency, Umar said: “We will expand our capacity and ability to effectively carry out our mandates through proactive and innovative service delivery in emergency management. I therefore acknowledge the respective contributions and pledge to build on their legacies with deliberate focus, humility and determination.
“As we gather here today, we are reminded of the critical importance of management in safeguarding the properties and lives of our fellow citizens, Nigeria like many nations is facing a myriad of natural disasters that threatens our communities, security and infrastructure therefore the need for innovative and effective emergency preparedness and response has never been more apparent.
“It is therefore incumbent on all of us charged with the responsibility of emergency response management to orient ourselves through steadfast commitment to excellence, innovation and inclusive service delivery.
“The priority will be ensuring that our interventions are timely, efficient and impactful in an accountable and transparent manner.”
Also, the former director general, Mustapha Ahmed, expressed happiness that during his time as the head of the agency, he was able to stabilize the activities of the organization and build a befitting office for the agency.
