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Tag: National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)

  • NEMA seeks approval of hazard allowances for workers

    NEMA seeks approval of hazard allowances for workers

    The National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ) has reached some agreements with its workers including the introduction of a life assurance policy for its employees.

    The agency is also expected to seek approval from the Federal Government for the payment of hazard allowances.

    The acceptance of the agreements  led  to the suspension of a nationwide strike  by the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria( ACSN ).

    The Federal Ministry of Labour had on Friday brokered peace between NEMA management led by its Director-General, Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria( ACSN).

    The agreements are as follows: “An Implementation Committee comprising the ASCN, NEMA Management to be chaired by the Director, Finance and Account ( DFA),  Federal Ministry of  Labour was constituted to facilitate the verification and commence payment of staff claims by  October 24. 

    “It was agreed that the management should work with the ASCN to conclude the process of acquiring life assurance policy for the staff within one week.

    “It was also agreed that the management should come up with a compensation package for the families of the deceased staff in line with the provisions of the Public Service Rules ( PSR).

    “That a training Schedule using existing template should be drawn to accommodate all the staff and the training needs of all the departments within two weeks. An implementation committee comprising Director, Human Resources, Director, Special Duties and a representative of the union is to be constituted to monitor and report the level of compliance.

    On the fate of some redeployed staff, the two parties agreed that “the management should issue the letters recalling the two unit executives by 20th October, 2017.”

    Regarding hazard allowances for NEMA workers, the management explained that it was seeking approval from the Federal Government for the payment.

    The agreement added: “The meeting noted that the management has already initiated the process and the DG was advised to fast-track the process with the relevant government agencies.”

    Both parties also resolved not yo victimize workers who participated in the strike action.

    Other issues to be addressed are proper placement if staff, voluntary redeployment and promotion.

    The agreement said: “The meeting agreed that the affected individuals should apply for redeployment in line with the Public Service Rules ( PSR ).”

    The meeting was informed that the list had been submitted to the Committee set up to look into the issue. Management was therefore advised to speed up the implementation process holistically across board.

    “The Association was requested to submit all promotion-relayed issues to the management within two weeks.

    “The meeting agreed that no member of the association shall be victimized or involved in any vindictive/punitive posting as a result of this industrial action.”

  • NEMA DG appeals to NASS to amend agency’s act

    NEMA DG appeals to NASS to amend agency’s act

    Mr Mustapha Maihaja, Director General, National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ), has appealed to the National Assembly to pass the bill seeking to amend the act establishing the Agency.

    He made the appeal in a statement signed by Mr Sani Datti, Head of Media and Public Relations, NEMA, on Monday in Abuja.

    Maihaja said that he was appealing for the amendment on the agency’s act in order to improve on the working conditions of the staff and enhance effective disaster management in the country.

    He was said to have made the appeal at the National Assembly when he led the management of the agency to the House of Representatives’ Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness in Abuja.

    Maihaja told the committee that the misunderstanding between the management and union had been resolved, saying that it was not the wish of the management to allow such matters to degenerate into strike action.

    The director-general added that some of the issues in the disputes could be properly handled with the amendment to the NEMA establishment Act.

    He appreciated the concerns of the Committee members and thanked the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige for intervening in resolving the issues.

    Datti said that the meeting was at the instance of the committee, which had invited the NEMA management and its staff union leaders to resolve the recent industrial disputes that resulted in a one day strike by the staff on Thursday.

    NAN

  • ‘NEMA assists 5,623 disaster victims in Gombe’

    ‘NEMA assists 5,623 disaster victims in Gombe’

    The National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ) has assisted 5,623 disaster and crisis victims in Gombe State between March and July.

    Malam Abani Imam, the Head of Operations, Gombe and Bauchi NEMA office disclosed this in an interview in Gombe State on Thursday.

    Imam said that 4,200 were affected by flood in Akko, Kaltungo and Yamaltu Deba Local Government, while 1,148 were victims of Billiri/Shongom Local Government communal clash.

    He said that 231 people in Dadin-Kowa community were also affected by flood, while 44 others were victims of inferno at Gombe Timber markets.

    The official said that they were assisted with food and non-food items.

    Read Also: NEMA hands over relief materials to flood victims in Enugu

    “It is not possible for government to replace all they have lost. What we are giving to them is just a kind of succour.

    He said that the agency had also identified another 708 flood victims in Shira Local Government area of Bauchi State, adding that relief materials would be extended to them.

    He appealed to the public to always adhere to NiMet advice to avert possible occurrence of flood.

    NAN

  • NEMA hands over relief materials to flood victims in Enugu

    NEMA hands over relief materials to flood victims in Enugu

    The National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ) on Wednesday handed over relief materials to the Enugu State Government for flood disaster victims in eight affected local government areas of the state.

    Handing over the items in Enugu, the Director-General of NEMA, Mr Mustapha Maihaja, said the materials were presented following on-the-spot assessment carried out in the affected communities.

    Maihaja said that the materials were approved as humanitarian relief assistance by the Federal Government to the affected persons.

    Mrs Nkechi Eneh, the Executive Secretary of Enugu State Emergency Management Agency, represented by her special assistant, Mr Austin Ajuluchukwu, thanked the federal government for seeing to the welfare of the flood victims in the state.

    Eneh promised that the agency would ensure that the materials got to the victims of the disaster.

    She listed the affected councils to include Uzo-Uwani, Igboeze North and South, Igboetiti, Enugu East and North, Udi and Eziagu.

    The relief materials donated are: 1000 pieces of blanket; 180 pieces of ceiling board; 120 pieces of mattresses; 1000 pieces of mosquito nets and 200 gallons each of vegetable and palm oil.

    Other items are: 161 cartons of bathing soap; 500 bags of garri and 300 pieces of  women and children’s wears  each.

    Others are: 100 bags of sugar; 200 pieces of men’s wears; 1000 pieces of Guinea Brocade materials and 50 bags of three-inch nails.

    NAN

  • OCHA partner NEMA to tackle disaster

    OCHA partner NEMA to tackle disaster

    The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ( OCHA ), Nigeria, says it is partnering National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ) on strategic planning and coordination of humanitarian agencies, to strengthen disaster response.

    Mrs Alta Bell, UN OCHA Representative, said this at the opening of a four-day workshop organised by NEMA in collaboration with UNICEF on the review and update of the National Multi-Hazard Contingency Plan in Keffi, Nassarawa State.

    Bell noted that the major challenge of humanitarian agencies such as NEMA was coordinating with other agencies during disaster response, which usually delayed conflict resolution.

    She said that the workshop was aimed at bringing together all humanitarian agencies to plan toward proper coordination and early preparation for disaster-prone areas.

    “As a representative of the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), I think our organisation shares a special bond with some organisations like NEMA.

    “We have a challenging role of coordinating across many different organisations and agencies.

    “Even at the international level, we are working with the governments and in the case of NEMA, they have the challenge of trying to work together, coordinate and consolidate across the whole country.

    “They are faced with the challenge to coordinate all the different levels of government and also to bring the different organisations and agencies to work together.

    “To bring everyone together is not a very easy thing; coordination is one of those challenges difficult to define.”

    According to her, coordinating means bringing people together; meeting on a regular basis, doing strategic planning and doing preparation, continuous planning such as the focus of the workshop.

    She urged participants to brainstorm and evolve plans that would help mitigate and improve response to disasters.

    Also speaking, the Director-General of NEMA, Alhaji Yunusa Maihaja, said that the workshop was aimed at strengthening the commitments and collaborations of stakeholders to identify and delineate roles and responsibilities, to reduce and prevent disasters.

    Maihaja said the review and update of the National Multi-Hazard Contingency plan was of critical national significance.

    According to him, an integrated proactive disaster management is being employed as a necessary strategy for the assurance of human security and promotion of sustainable development.

    He said that it also focused on reducing risk and vulnerability at household, community and at national levels.

    He said that NEMA considered its collaboration with UNICEF a priority and valuable in concerted efforts to build a culture of prevention, preparedness, response and community resilience to disasters.

    The NEMA director-general said that the workshop had further created a platform for exchange of ideas between the UN systems, international NGOs and the private and public sector emergency response stakeholders.

    He said that the recent flood disasters in some parts of the country, especially Benue, Imo and Lagos, were sad reminders of the 2012 flooding which caused a lot of displacement, food insecurity, malnutrition and epidemic.

    Maihaja said that the 2012 flooding and the ongoing humanitarian crises in the North-East were huge economic losses which destroyed national assets as well as claimed lives.

    NAN

  • FG begins North-East humanitarian Makeathon in october

    FG begins North-East humanitarian Makeathon in october

    The Federal Government will begin a North-East focused Makeathon in October, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Vice President, Mr Laolu Akande, said on Thursday.

    Makeathon is a process of crowdsourcing ideas around solutions open to interested persons, humanitarian actors, engineers, designers, scientists, innovators, investors and entrepreneurs in the region.

    According to Akande, the programme is in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration’s policy of promoting use of technology as critical tool for public service delivery.

    He said The programme would be conducted through the Presidency’s National Social Investment Office.

    The North East Makeathon is slated to run from October 2017 to December 2017 and will usher in the first set of incubation activities in the proposed North East humanitarian innovation hub.

    He said the focus of the hub would be to address challenges faced by persons in the region, some of which include Nutrition and Food Security, Early Recovery and Economic Security (Diversifying Livelihoods).

    Others are Camp Coordination and Management, Education (innovative and creative learning solutions) and Health (innovation, which addresses the health issues faced by pregnant women, children and communities in the region.

    Another critical area of focus in the hub, he said, would be the protection of women and children, gender-based violence, innovative and preventive measures.

    The Vice Presidential Spokesman said that the establishment of the proposed hub for the North-East was being driven by the National Social Investment Office working with the Presidential Committee for the North-East Initiatives ( PCNI ).

    Also involved would be the National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ), in partnership with International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC).

    Akande said it would serve as Humanitarian Innovation Hub and be situated in Yola, Adamawa State.

    The Federal Government intended to create eight private sector-led Innovation Hubs across the country, one in each of the six geo-political zones, as well as in Lagos and Abuja, he added.

    He explained that the main objective was to foster innovation in the country, through the National Social Investment Office.

    “The proposed innovation hubs would also provide training of varied IT skills, empowering youth for entrepreneurship and employment.

    “Additionally, the hubs would provide platform at an entrepreneurial level for support from the venture capital sector, as well as create job opportunities for graduates and trainees.”

    According to Akande, the goal is to catalyse growth and employment-focused partnerships while bringing together IDPs, humanitarian actors, social entrepreneurs, businesses, as well as the public and private sector.

    The agencies would have the shared goal of scaling effective, timely, efficient and ethical solutions to address common challenges and provide local solutions for local problems, including religious matters, he said.

    He noted that for further details on the challenges and how to participate, interested persons could refer to the website at www.nemakeathon.org.

  • NEMA donate relief materials to Kogi flood victims

    NEMA donate relief materials to Kogi flood victims

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Tuesday night donated two trucks load of relief materials flood victims in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

    The Head of NEMA Operations, Abuja Office, Mr Idris Mohammed, who led the delegation to Lokoja, said they were in the state because of the recent flood that affected displaced many people.

    He added that some of the displaced victims were now living in camps and others with their friends or relatives.

    He noted that the agency had earlier undertaken a comprehensive assessment for the whole of Kogi in order to deploy Federal Government obtainable interventions for the flood victims.

    He said that the relief materials comprised of 500 matresses, 500 mosquito nets, 500 blankets and 133 (50kg) bags of rice meant for the displaced in the Lokoja metropolis, adding that the donation would be a continuous thing.

    He stated: “We are working with the ministry, agencies and all other stakeholders in Kogi, so that we can package further materials for the entire communities affected by flood disaster across the state.

    “We sympathise with Kogi government, families and all those who have been affected by the flood disaster across the state”.

    Receiving the materials on behalf of the state government, the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, commended the federal government for the quick response and intervention.

    She noted that the exact degree of destruction by the flood in Kogi was yet to be ascertained, adding that her team were still collating data from all the affected communities across the state.

    She said that the state government provided prompt interventions within its financial capacity.

    “We call on all other stakeholders, individuals, groups and corporate organisations to come to the aid of the victims by giving the necessary support in terms of food stuffs and other relief materials.

    “We thank NEMA for the relief materials and we are calling for more support and assistance for all other affected communities across the state. We need support from other stakeholders”, she said.

    She appealed to the victims and others still living in flooded areas to vacate immediately, stressing that it was unsafe to continue to sleep in flooded houses.

    She commended the state government for the efforts put in place to cushion the adverse effects of the devastation on the affected people, saying the state needed more support from all other stakeholders.

    Aside the Nataco area, Sarkin Numa and Ganaja in the capital, other areas including Ibaji, in Kogi East, have been hit by flooding.

  • Kogi Flood: NYCN mobilises youth volunteers to riverine areas

    Kogi Flood: NYCN mobilises youth volunteers to riverine areas

    The National Youth Council of Nigeria ( NYCN ), Kogi chapter, says it has concluded plan to mobilise 1,000 youth volunteers in the state to complement government’s efforts in tackling flooding in riverine areas.

    A statement by NYCN Chairman in Lokoja, Mr Oladele Nihi, on Monday said the idea was also to raise volunteers through the local government chapters of the council.

    According to him, the volunteers are expected to work with National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ) and Kogi Ministry of Environment.

    Nihi also said that the volunteers would assist in carrying out grassroots sensitisation and environmental sanitation and clear blocked drainage systems.

    He said the volunteers would also create alternative routes for water to flow and do other tasks that might be deemed fit by the ministry.

    “The National Youth Council of Nigeria ( NYCN ), Kogi chapter wish to use this avenue to sympathise with the people of the state, most especially those affected by the recent flash flooding.

    “We also wish to commend NEMA, SEMA and the state Ministry of Environment for their tireless efforts in contending with this giant monster that we face at this time.

    “It is our belief that volunteers will complement the effort of NEMA and Ministry of Environment by taking the advocacy to the grassroots and help the communities to do the needful.

    “We hope that the ministry will provide them with the necessary tools to carry out this job.

    “We are enthusiastic that this little effort of the Youth Council will help to avert the imminent flooding or worst still, mitigate the suffering of our people, as we endure this trying time,” Nihi said.

    He called on youths in the state, irrespective of their locations, to join the advocacy and render assistance wherever they could.

    “Kogi is our state; collectively we will work to make it greater.’’

    “As a council, we believe in the saying that ‘Health is Wealth’, and a healthy life can only be guaranteed through a clean and safe environment”.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Lokoja witnessed flash flooding on Thursday in Lokoja and some other parts of the state such as, Ajaokuta, Koto Karfe and Omala Local Government Areas.

    Others are, Igalamela-Odolu, Kabba/Bunu, Ajaokuta, Ibaji, Bassa and Isanlu Local Government Areas.

  • Presidency assures timely release of Ecological fund

    Presidency assures timely release of Ecological fund

    Presidential Spokesman, Garba Shehu, says President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration will ensure the timely release of the Ecological Fund to States to address pressing ecological challenges in their localities.

    Shehu, who is the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday.

    The statement, which was signed by Mr Atta Esah, Deputy Director (Information), State House, said Shehu spoke at an audience participation programme on FRCN Kaduna, entitled: ‘Hannu Da Yawa’.

    He pledged that the presidency would continue to assist flood victims across the country.

    The presidential aide added that the administration would under no circumstances abandon its humanitarian obligations to alleviate the distress of flood victims.

    ‘‘In spite of Nigeria’s technological limitations and the paucity of funds to handle or manage large scale and complex emergencies, the APC administration will leave no stone unturned in offering succour to victims of natural disasters across the country,’’ he said.

    According to Shehu, an aide to the presidency, it is the right of citizens to demand the judicious use of the Ecological Fund, which is distributed among the three tiers of government from the Federation Account.

    ‘‘The largest chunk of the Fund goes to the States and Local Governments. Every month, States and Local Governments receive 1.4 per cent from the Federation account as Ecological Fund, compared to the Federal Government’s share of 1 per cent.

    ‘‘From the 1 per cent the Federal Government gets, NEMA takes 20 per cent for its operation,’’ he said.

    He noted that lately, disaster management in the country was gradually being ceded to the Federal Government by other tiers of government.

    ‘‘Whenever there is an emergency from natural or man-made disasters, all you hear is ‘where is Buhari, what is he doing?

    “What happens with the other tiers of government?”

    The presidential aide, therefore, enjoined Nigerians, at the state and local government levels, to always demand for transparency and accountability in the management of ecological funds by their Governors and Local Government Chairmen.

    ‘‘Without accountability by local political leaders, the Federal government would continue to be the scapegoat for the failure of states and local governments to use ecological funds for the purposes they were released,’’ he said.

    Shehu said the Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation had also been mandated to step up the provision of relief infrastructure to those in need.

    The presidency, had on Aug. 31, directed the National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ) to immediately mobilise personnel and resources to come to the aid of the victims of the flooding in Benue where over 100,000 persons were displaced and many communities submerged as a result of downpour in the state.

  • 121 stranded Nigerians return from Libya

    121 stranded Nigerians return from Libya

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Wednesday said it had received another batch of 121 stranded Nigerians from Libya.

    The Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Mr Suleiman Yakubu, received them on behalf of the Federal Government, enjoining them to learn from their unpleasant experiences in the course of their sojourn.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NEMA had on Aug. 29 received another batch of 139 returnees from Libya.

    NAN reports that the total number of Nigerian returnees brought back from Libya by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) from February, 2017 to date is 2,638.

    Yakubu said the aircraft that transported them arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) at 5:30p.m on Wednesday aboard a chartered Airbus SA320 Nouvelair Flight with Registration number TS-INA.

    According to a statement signed by Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, the South-West Spokesman of NEMA, Yakubu said that the agency received the 121 returnees from the officials of IOM.

    The zonal coordinator explained that on arrival, the profiling of the returnees indicated that there were 60 female adults, one girl, while male adults were 57 with two male children and a male infant.

    “The total returnees are 61 females and 60 males amongst them are two pregnant women and one with medical issues.

    “One of the returnees, Ms Omolara Owoade, who hails from Apomu in Osun, claimed that she spent one year and two months in Libya.

    “Owoade worked as a cleaner in a hospital and when it was time for her to collect her salary, she was accused of stealing and taken to prison from where the IOM came to her rescue.

    “She said N662, 000 was collected from her by a trafficker and vowed that she would get her money back from her trafficker once she returns to Nigeria.

    “Owoade also narrated to NEMA, on her arrival, that many Nigerians are suffering the same fate,” Yakubu said.

    He also explained how Ms Iyabo Abiola from Oyo State narrated how she fell victim to the deceitful talks of the traffickers, who deceived her with a promise of 4,000 dollars per month.

    Yakubu said that Abiola vowed to expose the traffickers, usually called burger, to NAPTIP.

    The NEMA zonal coordinator said that the deportees were also received by officers from the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the Police and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).