The Nation Newspaper

Tag: National Emergency Management Agency

  • Enugu killings: Community calls for government intervention

    Enugu killings: Community calls for government intervention

    The people of Uzo-Uwani communities in Enugu state have called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene to stop further attacks of its communities by herdsmen who cross into the area from the neighbouring Kogi State.

    In a statement issued at the end of an emergency meeting of Uzo-Uwani Professionals Association in Abuja, the group frowned at the recent attack of Nimbo community in the local government by Fulani herdsmen who crossed over from Kogi state during which more than forty lives were lost and property worth millions of Naira destroyed.

    The association also warned that the people of Uzo-Uwani‎ will no longer fold their arms and watch any group pr individuals attack communities in the area for the single objective of killing, maiming of people and the destruction of communities.

    The press statement which was signed by Mr. Peter Anjia Okoye, President, UZPA, stated that about one hundred people were wounded during the attack and are still in hospital receiving treatment.
    The Group said: “For the avoidance of doubt, about one hundred persons who were wounded during the incident are receiving ‎treatment in hospitals at Nsukka and Adani, while two more bodies were discovered yesterday during the visit of the Governor of Enugu state to the community.

    “We are aware of the tension building up in some of the communities in the local government especially four other towns listed as those likely to be attacked and therefore, call on the government to deploy troops and police mobile units to all the communities in the local government.

    “We also demand the immediate constitution of a Judicial Panel of Inquiry by the Federal Government to unravel the real motives behind the unprovoked attacks of our communities. For Instance, we need to know why despite warnings, the police and military were unable to deploy to the area.

    “We need to know if truly, a Fulani chief was killed in a farm settlement in Igalamala Council Area of Kogi state and why our people are being attacked ostesibly in retaliation for that, we also need to know why the Divisional Police Unit in Uzo-Uwani were unable to respond as quickly as it should during the attack.

    “We also need to know why police in Kogi could not prevent the movement of such number of herdsmen without their livestock despite warnings to the Kogi police of the plan to attack communities in Enugu. We also need to know why up till now the Police is unable to apprehend any suspect in the event.”

    The Association further urged National urged National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to urgently come to the assistance of displaced people of the area, many of whom are now living in squatter settlements especially in Nsukka, Uvuru, Nkpologu, Ugbene-Ajima and Omasi Agu in Anambra state.

  • Chibok girls will be found soon- Shettima

    Chibok girls will be found soon- Shettima

    The governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima disclosed Tuesday that the 276 Chibok girls who were abducted on April 14th 2014 will soon be united with their families.

    Shettima disclosed this during a visit to the National Emergency Management Agency NEMA in Abuja, stating that  based on the information at his disposal the Chibok girls are still alive.

    He said, “I am an optimist, and based on the information at our disposal the Chibok girls are still alive and will be united with their families soon, we are hopeful that the girls will be recovered.

    He said, “Though security falls within the area of responsibility of the federal government, the government is doing all it can not only to rescue the girls but to care for the well-being of the generality of the people. We have started rebuilding most of the communities; we are determined to rebuild all.

    “The military has been doing so much in the past week, which led to the influx of IDPs to our camps, presently because of the successes by the military we have over 75000 IDPs in Zifar, 28,000 in Bama, 38000 in Banki town, 27000 in Polka, right now there is an inflow of 2,300 people to Gusa today which necessitated the visit to NEMA to solicit for the usual assistance.

    “As a state government we are doing our best, but NEMA has been our partner in taking care of the IDPs for the past one to two years. Within the Maiduguri metropolis alone, apart from the IDPs in the camps we have 1.7million people within the host communities. Even in the best of times our people were the poorest of the poor, and Boko Haram has further compounded the problem.

    “Our visit is to solicit NEMA support towards the current government; we need the support of NEMA in whatever way they can assist. Though we have reached out to so many organizations, but this is where the real support lies. Borno is free now, though there are hiccups here and there, but not like before again. I am not saying they are completely liberated. Peace is gradually returning to the state. By the end of the year the people will return to their homes.

    The Director General of NEMA, Muhammed Sani Sidi assured the governor of NEMA assistance at all times and promise to immediately move to assist in the influx of IDPs in the state.

  • Building collapse: Death toll rises to 29

    Building collapse: Death toll rises to 29

    The death toll at the collapsed five-storey structure located at the end of Kushenla Road, Chisco bus stop, Ikate Elegushi in Lekki area of Lagos State, which collapsed on Tuesday morning has hit 29.

    South West Spokesperson of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye confirmed to our reporter that more bodies were recovered from the rubbles Wednesday bringing the death toll to 29.

    General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Mr. Micheal Akindele who also confirmed the death toll, said 18 bodies were recovered on Tuesday.

    Meanwhile, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has ordered the suspension of work in the area by Lekki Gardens, the construction company behind the collapsed building.

    The Governor in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, also asked all the directors of the said Lekki Gardens Company, to report to the Commissioner of Police, within the next 24-hours, in their own interest.

    Ambode who also expressed condolences on behalf of the government over the death of construction site workers, who lost their lives on Tuesday as a result of the collapse, said the initial enquirers by the state government showed that safety standards had been dangerously compromised, coupled with weak supervision which must have led to the collapse of the building.

    He said the state government will no not fold its arms and allow unnecessary loss of lives and property.

    “Such criminal neglect will no longer go without appropriate consequences,” he said

    He however commended the timely response and intervention by the combined men of the Lagos State Emergency Authority (LASEMA), the Lagos State Fire Service, Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Red Cross, National Emergency Agency (NEMA), Lagos State Building Control Agency and the Rapid Response Service (RRS), which helped to save the lives of about 15 persons who were retrieved from the rubbles alive

     

  • Breaking: Helicopter crashes into Lagos lagoon

    A yet to be identified helicopter crashed into the Oworonsoki lagoon in Lagos about 35 minutes ago.

    The crash site, according to sources, is directly behind the palace of the Oba of Lagos.

    The number of casualty and cause of the mishap had not been ascertained

    Confirming the incidence, the southwest spokesman of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, said, “It is true but NEMA has not receive distress alert from the chopper on its mission control centre yet.

    “We have Maritime Distress Alert only about a ship around Warri in Delta State, rescue agencies are on their way to the scene.”

  • Safety of mother, child in emergency

    Safety of mother, child in emergency

    “I remember hearing gunshots and feeling afraid. I ran to save my life and that of my six children, but I was not fast enough… I lost my baby… but I had to remain strong for the others…”, recounts Zainab (not real name) rescued from the Sambisa forest.

    “We are looking for your men. Do not run,” she remembers the gunmen saying when her village was stormed, leading to abduction of women and children. Another survivor, a pregnant Fatima (not real name) watched Boko Haram militants murder her husband and drag her three children away. Afterward, she was taken to the Sambisa Forest and ended up giving birth in the forest. She and her newborn were later rescued.

    The above tales of horror orchestrated by Boko Haram insurgents at the peak of their acts of terrorism in North-East Nigeria has been strongly condemned by the internal community including the United Nations (UN).

    The plain truth, yet a sad commentary, is that at the receiving end of the humanitarian crises arising from insurgency are women and children. The number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and the refugees kept growing.

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the UN system in Nigeria put the total number of IDPs at 1,235,294 while 2,120 refugees and asylum seekers were registered as of 17 January 2015.

    According to Assessment Capacities Project, Start Network (ACAPS), the majority of IDPs are in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, in the far northeast, but 47,276 IDPs are in Plateau, Nasarawa, Abuja, Kano, and Kaduna states.

    However, the magnitude and severity of needs remain more pressing in the northeast, where humanitarian emergency thresholds have been exceeded and access was for a long time extremely challenging.

    Thus, it is no longer news that hundreds of women and children were abducted and held in locations hitherto held by the insurgents, including the dreaded Sambisa forest. It is also not news that hundreds of women and children have been rescued and are still being rescued by the military.

    That a number of the women and girls rescued were very traumatised and found to be pregnant is also in the public sphere. However, that every pregnancy, regardless of circumstances leading to it, must be safe and delivered is the issue for the front burner of public discourse.

    No doubt, the women and girls have gone through hell in the hands of their abductors. Their rights have been infringed upon; they have been brutalised and abused; and many have lost their lives in the process. The lucky ones that are still alive are back and still far away from returning to their normal self. They, obviously, need all kinds of support: foods, non-foods, dignity kits, health support, education, livelihood, among others.

    Furthermore, every time there is a humanitarian emergency, the actors in the humanitarian field are quick to rush and repeatedly provide food and non-food items to the displaced population.

    Of course, that reinforces the African proverb that says, ‘If you resolve the challenges of feeding in the life of a poor man, then he is no longer poor.’ But over time, the reality of other equally critical needs set in. The pregnant women, the lactating mothers, women of reproductive age and the children have to be catered for specially.

    The United Nations through its specialised Agencies, Programmes and Funds and the government, with the benefit of hindsight, always anticipates this and in all cases, factors such into its response plans.

    The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) being the lead Agency of the UN in the area of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) is committed to delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every child birth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. Its mandate was determined by United Nations Members, including Nigeria.

    Indeed, Nigeria is one of the countries whose 1965 appeal to the UN ultimately inspired the creation of UNFPA a few years later.

    UNFPA in Nigeria is committed to save lives, restore dignity and rebuild broken lives of vulnerable women and girls.

    Within the context of the insurgency in the North-East and its humanitarian challenges especially as they affect women and children, UNFPA is addressing gender-based violence in humanitarian settings through a wide range of services, including counselling, post-rape treatment, legal support, assistance with livelihoods, and support through its Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) programs.

    Working with and through the government of Nigeria including in the states, UNFPA interventions in 2014 alone supported more than 16,000 safe deliveries in North East Nigeria; reached about 2.6 million women and girls with SRH services including for Gender Based Violence (GBV) management in North East Nigeria; and supported provision of modern family planning services to an estimated 2 million women and Couple Year Protection of 2.2million countrywide.

    It is gladdening to note that through its interventions and support, about two thousand maternal deaths were averted country wide while another one thousand free fistula treatment surgeries were supported with 97% success rate across the country.

    Explaining the SRH support to the rescued girls and women, the Director and Country Representative of UNFPA Nigeria, Ms Rati Ndhlovu, observed that “Upon the arrival of rescued women and children in Malkohi camp in Yola, UNFPA responded immediately by providing reproductive health care and psychosocial counselling to survivors of violence.

    “Women and girls who survive unimaginable trauma of captivity and brutalizing violence need immediate and compassionate care and UNFPA has been, as always, determined to ensure that they are given everything they need to be able to heal with dignity, safety and a restored sense of self-worth. After a few weeks of counselling, there was marked improvement in the survivors.”

    Restoring the livelihood and normal lifestyle of the rescued women and children and those that are displaced by the insurgency and military operations is the issue on the front burner of the UN system in the country.

    Of particular importance is ensuring that women can deliver babies safely and that they and girls can maintain their health, dignity, rights and self-worth even in the most challenging situations.

    “Our efforts”, Ms Ndlovu added, “are focused on supporting women and girls to restore their lives as quickly as possible and begin the process of healing to be able to fulfill their potential and once again resume productive lives.”