The Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs Zubaida Umar, on Sunday announced that the agency had activated all zonal, territorial and operation offices across Nigeria to work with the States’ Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) within their area of responsibilities, to carry out rescue operations and conduct assessment of the situation.
A statement from the agency on Sunday, said the NEMA Zonal, Territorial and Operation offices are located in Lagos, Ibadan, Ekiti, Abuja, Minna, Jos, Enugu, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Edo, Uyo, Kano, Sokoto, Kaduna, Maiduguri, Yola and Gombe.
At the headquarters, NEMA said it also operates a toll-free emergency contact line: 0800CALLNEMA (080022556362) in addition to all its social media platforms, through which feedback from members of the public can be received nationwide.
Consequently, NEMA said search and rescue officers have been deployed across the states, and have been providing the much-desired support in coordination of rescue operations with SEMAs and other stakeholders in recently flooded areas and communities.
The agency also said it is conducting a rapid assessment to determine any further assistance that may be required in the impacted communities.
Annually in Nigeria some states are worst hit by flood. There’s an urgent need for the government to be proactive in mitigating the impact of predicted floods. Structures built on waterways and drainages should be pulled down. Blocked drainages be cleared as recently seen in some parts of Lagos and the FCT. Rivers that need dredging be dredged, all these and more should be done before the rainy season commences to avoid loss of lives and properties.
Flooding is predictable and has been predicted for years in Nigeria. The federal and state government should do the needful and citizens hold the government accountable even as NEMA puts strategies in place for emergency situations.
