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Tag: National Emergency Management Agency

  • NEMA warns of impending flooding in 12 states

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) yesterday predicted intense flooding in 12 states of the federation.

    The states are Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa. There is also the River Benue axis which includes Benue, Adamawa and Taraba.

    The Director General of NEMA, Mustapha Maihaja, disclosed this during the stakeholder’s forum on flooding in Abuja, saying that all the indices of flooding in 2012 are repeating themselves.

    According to him, “there is need for preparedness. We should be ready for any eventuality. We should invigorate our enlightenment campaign in an effort to enlighten the people to further inform the frontline states in a more aggressive manner.

    “Presently, the water level in Lokoja is 9.89 level with a discharge of 326. The same depth in 2012. It is clear that all he indices that took place on flooding in 2012 have resurfaced.

    “One of the ways to take care of this situation is that we have set up a committee of five group, three persons from each sector. They will go to the villages and cities that will be affected, use all avenues to enlighten the people and make sure they are well informed.”

    He said the resolution on the matter was that State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) should ensure that drainages are cleared.

    He said: “People build on water channels thereby blocking drainages where water should pass. All this has to be taken care of.

    “NEMA will champion the clearing of drainages and houses built on waterways in the states by providing 30% funding. Dangote will provide 30% while the federal government will give 40% to ensure clearance of drainages and clear waterways.

    “The Ministry of housing has to come in here to provide emergency housing scheme to these states. And in a safer parts of the states where flood cannot get to, what we are working on is long term, medium term and short term plans.

  • Katsina flood: Buhari directs NEMA’s intervention, death toll hits 44

    President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the National emergency Management Agency, NEMA, to quickly intervene in bringing reliefs to victims of a ravaging flood disaster which hit the border town of Jibia town in Katsina state last Sunday which has so far claimed 44 lives with 500 houses destroyed and virtually hundreds of cattle and domestic animals drowned

    The Governor of Katsina State Aminu Bello Masari, who made the above disclosure on Monday evening while addressing newsmen at Government House Katsina, said he called the President who presently is on official visit to the Netherlands, and acquainted him with the development, adding that the President has directed relevant agencies of Government including NEMA, to quickly moving in to assist the flood victims .

    Read Also: Fayose faults Buhari on Fayemi’s election

    Governor Masari who was visibly shocked by the extent of damages done by the flood after a two and half hour rainfall in Jibia town on Sunday night said already the state government has temporarily resettled the victims at a nearby Primary School, and provided them with immediate reliefs adding that NEMA is also sending 13 trucks of relief material to the town today

    He said ’’I went there myself to see things for myself; I have never seen such a natural disaster as big as what happened in Jibia town. Occupants couldn’t salvage anything; the flood is over 10ft deep, there was drainage but because of the heavy down pour, the drainages that would have emptied themselves into the main river were beaten back by the river, 20 people were still unaccounted including a two day old bride

  • AGF, Dangote Industries clear air on Northeast N5.8b relief food materials

    No cash was given to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for the supply of relief food materials to victims of insurgency in the Northeast in 2017, it emerged on Wednesday.

    The Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris and some of the  companies involved in the programme  made the confirmation at the on-going House of Representatives investigation into the activities of NEMA.

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) confirmed the disbursement of the Fund in accordance with a mandate from the OAGF.

    In his submission, the AGF, Idris said the need to release the fund for the supply was as a result of the scaling down of funding by international agencies operating in the region which could jeopardise the lives of the people of the region.

    Represented by Director Funds, Mohammed Usamn, the AGF  said, “N5.8b was released to five companies and  N829m to NEMA for logistics.

    “The objective of the release of the Fund was the scaling down of international donor food funding in the region by 85 percent.

    “However no money was given to NEMA other than the money for logistics but it was charged to the Consolidated Revenue Fund”

    When the Isa Ali led- Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Committee  insisted on the reasons behind the release of the money, he said,  “I would have come with the records concerning reasons for the release of the Fund, if such request was included in what we we were asked to provide the Committee with”.

    He pleaded for time to come up with the requested information.

    One of the compnaies that were engaged for the supply of the relief  food items also confirmed that NEMA was not involved in the  disbursement of money for the cost of the food materials.

    The representative of Dangote Industries, one of the companies that supplied maize worth N936m, Ahmed Hasheem  said it had no contract with NEMA on the subject matter.

    Accordig to him,  CBN engaged the companies to mop up food items around the country in 2016 in anticipation of off season.

    “In December 2016, with others companies in food business, we were given money by CBN to mop up grains from local markets so that it can be used off season.

    “We were paid after which we mopped up the food grains  and later we were asked to supply the items to NEMA which we did.

    “All the documentation of the grains supplied  and delivered are available but we were contacted for the supply in 2017,”he said.

    The Committee however gave the AGF 72 hours to supply the requested information.

    The meeting was adjourned indefinitely.

  • Mubi bomb blast: Senate urges security agencies to beef up security

    The Senate on Wednesday urged security agencies to beef up security in Mubi, Adamawa North Senatorial District, following bomb blast attack in the area.

    The upper chamber also urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials to the affected areas.

    The resolutions were sequel to a motion on “The Twin Bomb Blast in Mubi and the need for Immediate Action to Prevent Recurrence” by Sen. Binta Garba (APC-Adamawa) at plenary.

    Binta noted that on May 1, “two suspected suicide bombers shattered the relative peace in Mubi and environs through a twin bomb explosion in a mosque.”

    The lawmaker said the recent attacks had seriously brought back fears, not only in Mubi but also the entire Adamawa North Senatorial District.

    “This will definitely affect businesses of the aream, especially Mubi, being a centre of the state.

    Contributing, Sen. Gbenga Ashafa (APC-Lagos), called for the restructuring of the security apparatus to check the killings across the country.

    After a Voice Vote by the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, the prayers of the motion were unanimously adopted by the senators.

  • Gombe YESSO identifies 41,871 poor, vulnerable persons in 3 LGAs

    Gombe State office of Nigeria Youth Empowerment and Social Support Operation ( YESSO ) has identified 41,871 poor and vulnerable persons from three local government areas of the state to be assisted.

    Mr Melton Sundu, the Monitoring and Evaluation officer of YESSO Gombe disclosed this to the News men in Gombe on Tuesday.

    Sundu said the figure was derived from 15,342 households in Balanga Nafada and Yamaltu-Deba local government areas.

    He said out of the number identified, 12, 559 were already uploaded on its website, adding that the organisation was currently working on the remaining figures.

    He said the aim of the exercise was to obtain a single register of the poor and vulnerable persons in the state to effectively assist them.

    According to him, the programme is designed by the Federal Government in collaboration with the World Bank to address the rate of poverty among individuals and to empower the youths.

    “The register will make things easier whenever the need arises to assist them,’’ he said.

    Read Also: Dankwambo…Architect of transformed Gombe at 56

    Sundu said the organisation would soon capture the remaining eight local government areas in Gombe, to ascertain number of poor and vulnerable in the state.

    He said the organisation had also gotten number of Internally Displaced Persons ( IDPs ) in the state from the National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ) and State Emergency Management Agency ( SEMA ).

    The monitoring and evaluation officer said the exercise was to verify and authenticate the number of IDPs in the state that would benefit from the Federal Government’s packages for those who want to go back to their homes.

    He said packages such as relocation, settlement and feeding were available to the IDPs by the state in collaboration with the Federal Government.

    “But those who do not want to go back to their respective states they are only entitled to feeding.’’

    NAN

  • NEMA boss opens up on alleged N3.1b fraud

    due process was followed in the procurement of relief materials for emergency purposes across the country, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Maihaja told a House of Representatives panel at the weekend.

    House Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness had at its public hearing on violation of public trust in NEMA confronted the agency with due process infractions in the award of N3.1b procurement of 10,000 metric tons of rice for emergency purposes in the Northeast between 2017 and 2018.

    The Committee also questioned the agency why an officer other than a Procurement officer had to sign award letters.

    In his response, Maihaja said the agency was forced to approach the Presidency for the procurement of the materials because development partners withdrew 85 percent of their funding support for the region.

    While availing the Committee with the copy of the approval letter, the DG said the agency can not award a procurement contract that is more than N300m.

    He said: “We insist that due process be followed on procurement since my assumption of duties in April 2017 because different methods were used before then with serious resistance from within and outside.

    “Today NEMA is one of the most investigated agencies but due process was followed in our procurements.

    “On the 10,000 metric tons of rice, we complied with the Procurement Act, the agency sought Presidential approval for the procurement 10,000 metric tons of rice at 3.1b for emergency purposes in the Northeast.

    “The approval was signed by the Vice President in a letter by the Deputy Chief of Staff.

    “The contract was awarded to two companies as well as  logistics companies for delivery.

    “The contractors don’t get paid until deliveries are confirmed by the recipient agencies.

    “Also, the deliveries directly to   NEMA are taken to our warehouses across the country and confirmed by our store officers before payments are made.”

  • NEMA donates relief materials to flood victims in Anambra

    NEMA donates relief materials to flood victims in Anambra

    The National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ) has donated relief materials worth millions of Naira to flood disaster victims in some council areas of Anambra.

    The victims were those affected by the September 2017 flood which devastated five council areas of Anambra where farmlands and other means of livelihood were lost.

    The affected council areas were Anambra East, Anambra West, Awka North, Ayamelum and Ogbaru, which all fell
    within the agrarian belt of the state.

    NEMA’s South-East Zonal Coordinator, Mr Walson Brandon, handed over the relief materials at the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) Warehouse in Awka on Tuesday.

    He gave the assurance that Federal Government would continue to be responsive to the plight of disaster victims in the zone.

    Brandon said “these materials can never replace the people’s losses during the flood disaster but serves as a way of cushioning the effect of the unfortunate incident.

    Read also: ‘ NEMA assists 5,623 disaster victims in Gombe’

    “NEMA will undertake several flood-risk reduction measures in the zone to reduce loss of lives and property.

    “There would be a lot of sensitisation and awareness programmes in affected communities to prepare residents against such occurrence.”

    The Anambra Governor, Mr Willie Obiano, represented by a Director in Government House, Dr Dan Ezeanwu, thanked the Federal Government for the gesture.

    He said that the government, through NEMA, had intervened in so many disasters and emergencies in the state.

    He appealed to stakeholders to ensure transparency in the distribution of the relief materials.

    Dr Paul Odenigbo, the Executive Secretary of Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, who formally received and gave an acknowledged letter detailing materials received, thanked Federal Government and NEMA for coming to the state’s assistance.

    Odenigbo noted that the relief materials would go a long way in cushioning the effects of the disaster on the affected persons.

    A representative of the affected persons, Chief Innocent Okeke, thanked government for the assistance.

    Okeke, who is a farmer at Aguleri Uno in Anambra East council area, assured that the people would make judicious use of the relief materials given them.

    The materials included 300 bags of 50kg rice; 200 bags of 100kg beans; 300 bags of garri; 200 cartons of tin tomato; 100 bags of sugar; 1,000 bags of salt; 100 kegs of vegetable oil; 100 kegs of palm oil and 200 cartons of powdered milk.

    Others were 300 cartons of 3-in-1 tea; 200 cartons of Milo; 200 cartons of bathing soap; 200 pieces of men’s wear; 200 mattresses; 1,000 blankets; among others.

    NAN

  • 487 Nigerian returnees arrive Port Harcourt from Libya

    487 Nigerian returnees arrive Port Harcourt from Libya

    The second batch of 487 Nigerian returnees from Libya arrived Port Harcourt International Airport at about 10.43 p.m. on Monday in Max Air.

    On Friday, the Federal Government announced the establishment of a reception centre in  Port Harcourt for 5,037 Nigerians being evacuated from Libya.

    The returnees were received by officials of National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ), led representatives from other Federal Government agencies.

    NEMA officials conveyed the returnees to Haji camp where they were profiled and fed.

    Officials were on ground to check the returnees’ body temperature and also gave immediate first aid to those in need.

    Read also: 1,295 Nigerians returned from Libya in November

    Officials also said that 487 returnees are expected to be transported back to their states of origin within few days.

    The Federal Government on Monday said it has so far evacuated 1,030 stranded Nigerian migrants from Libya between January 7 and January 8.

    Mustapha Maihaja, the Director-General of National Emergency Management Agency, disclosed this at a joint news conference by the Federal Government delegation to Libya.

    Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, had on January 5 led a delegation on fact finding mission to Libya to secure the release of Nigerian migrants stranded in that country.

    Onyeama said the Nigerian mission in Libya was coordinating the identification of the Nigerian migrants with the support of International Organisation for Migration.

    According to him, they are being joined by a technical team comprising representatives from NEMA, Immigration and other relevant Nigerian government agencies.

    The minister said that the political and security challenges in that country made it difficult to secure the evacuation of some Nigerians back home.

    He added that “there are different centres of power in that country.

    The central government recognised by the UN and AU do not have full control of the territories controlled by rebels.”

    He pointed out that there were over 50 detention camps in Libya, many of them under the control of rebels and militia groups.

    NAN

  • NEMA urges traders to take group fire insurance policy

    NEMA urges traders to take group fire insurance policy

    The National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ) has advised traders to take group fire insurance policy to protect them in case of fire out-break.

    Mr Brandon Walson, the South-East Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, gave the advice in Enugu on Wednesday in an interview.

    He was speaking on ways to reduce losses by traders yearly from infernos.

    Traders in some parts of the country witnessed losses due to infernos in markets, losing goods worth millions of naira within minutes.

    Fire incidents are particularly enhanced by the dry Harmattan weather.

    Walson said group fire insurance policy, as done in advance countries, would make insurance companies to bear all losses from fire incidents.

    He said that it was mandatory to always have a group fire insurance policy before the commencement of trade in most modern open markets or shopping malls.

    “This advice will avail the traders the desired indemnity of their goods and wares in cases of loss from fire.

    Read also: NEMA receives another batch of 167 from Libya

    “What the agency offers to victims, especially traders, is palliative succour.

    “But, with a group fire insurance policy, the insurance company is liable to shoulder all the losses by indemnifying them, which is like a calculated full compensation to the traders.

    “This is a standard practice in all advance countries so that traders will remain in business, no matter what had happened to their market or markets,’’ the coordinator said.

    He said that such step would also stand as pro-active measure since business and life were full of risks.

    “It is one way of implementing NEMA’s recent mandate, which is being pro-active in stopping disasters and other unwanted developments,’’ the coordinator said.

    He said that NEMA would synergise with insurance companies to see how best to sensitise traders to take-up this all-important group fire insurance policy.

    “This will be extended to other people, whose businesses or livelihoods, are prone to disasters both natural and man-made,’’ Walson said.

    NAN

  • NEMA urges state govts to rehabilitate Libyan returnees

    NEMA urges state govts to rehabilitate Libyan returnees

    National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has urged state governments of the federation to facilitate the rehabilitation of their indigenes, who voluntarily returned from Libya.

    The Director-General, NEMA, Alhaji Mustapha Maihajja, made the call in Lagos on Tuesday while receiving 142 Nigerians who voluntarily returned from Libya.

    Maihajja, who was represented by Alhaji Suleiman Yakubu, NEMA’s South-West Zonal Coordinator, stressed the need for every state to complement the efforts being made at the national and international levels to rehabilitate the returnees.

    The director-general, who noted that Edo and Osun had keyed into such the rehabilitation programme, called on more states to emulate them by offering assistance to the returnees from their states.

    Read also : 149 more Nigerians return from Libya

    Maihajja applauded the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the European Union (EU) for facilitating the repatriation of the returnees and also providing assistance for their rehabilitation.

    The returnees arrived  Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at about 11.25p.m aboard a Nouvelair Airbus A320 aircraft with registration Number: TS-INA, comprising 52 adult females, 86 adult males, two children and two infants.

    The first batch of 245 returnees had earlier arrived at about 8.25p.m at the airport aboard an Afriqiyah Airbus 330-300 aircraft with registration Number 5A-ONR.

    The returnees were also received by officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

    NAN