NEMA Briefs Anambra Govt on Flood Disaster Response Campaign

By Uche Eke

The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA says it is deploying teams to all the States of the Federation to interact with people in communities at risk of floods to interact with the people and take the early warning message to the grassroots.

The Director General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar stated this during a courtesy call on the Governor of Anambra state , Mr Chukwuma Soludo at the new Government House in Awka the state capital

According to the DG, the team comprising of NEMA and the State Emergency Management Agency SEMA came to brief the Governor about the stakeholders Engagement exercise on the 2025 National Preparedness and Response Campaign on flood disaster and related hazards.

Represented by the Deputy Director Special Duties, Dr. Thickman Tanimu, the NEMA boss noted that the exercise will be achieved with the support of SEMAs, LEMCs and community volunteers across the state.

According to her, the NEMA Zonal Directorates and Operations Offices spread across the nation will simultaneously drive the engagement process at the State and community levels.

While calling on all Stakeholders to support NEMA in the initiative of taking the early warning messages to the people to safeguard against past experiences Mrs Zubaida said the role of traditional institutions, religious organizations, women and youth groups and the media has become paramount in the effort.

Our esteemed partners, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I find it necessary to stress that disaster management across the world is predicated on community participation and due consideration to diversity of persons; leaving no one behind.

As we always emphasize at NEMA, ‘‘disaster management is everyone’s business’’.

We must work together take the right early warning to specific groups to safeguard communities at risk,

She called for the protecion of critical infrastructure and support uninterrupted socio-economic activities in the various communities across the nation as it will go a long way in reducing the impacts of the annually recurring floods and safeguard the livelihoods of the people.

This she said is the guaranteed path of driving socio-economic growth and development in line with the renewed hope agenda of the Federal Government under the stewardship of President Bola Tinubu.

Anambra state Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo said the state having some of the flood prone local government areas, is always on top of the situation in terms of Preparednes and proactive mfceasures against the natural occurrence.

Represented by his Deputy, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim, the Governor said his administration is very deliberate about the termination of all water channels in the various roads being constructed in the area as the contractors are mandated to channel drainage ways down to nearby rivers to avoid flash flooding.

He noted that while flood disaster is a natural disaster, the state is taking deliberate actions to discourage people from building on waterways and blocking drainage channels.

The Governor revealed that in readiness of any flood menace, plans were on by the government to have game facilities and other basic amenities in all the holding camps and centers in the state to make it more habitable within the period victims may be forced to occuly them.

Reports that the event had in attendance the NEMA Head of Operations , South East Zone, Enugu , Mrs Ngozi Echeazu , the Executive Secretary Anambra State Emergency Management Agency SEMA Chief Paul Odenigbo, the Commissioners for Environment, Doctor Felix Odimegwu, Information and Public Enlightenment , Doctor Law Mefo, among others.