The Nation Newspaper

Tag: SEMA

  • 25,000 IDPs live in Gombe

    At least 25,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from across the troubled Northeast states are presently residing in Gombe State with about 15,000 of them living in the state capital.

    A permanent Secretary in the state who is also in charge of Administration and Finance of Gombe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Hajiya Laraba Kawu made this known in Gombe Thursday.

    She spoke briefly after the flag-off of distribution of food items and other materials worth millions of naira to 375 victims of insurgency displaced from their homes.

    The relief materials were provided by the Presidential Committee on Disaster Victims’ Support Programme on Thursday.

    Laraba, who represented Gombe State governor and SEMA at the occasion, appreciated the efforts of Federal Government in associating with victims of the problems in the northeast.

    She urged beneficiaries to make maximum use of whatever they are given as relief items.

     

  • 395 IDPs in Niger, says SEMA

    Alhaji Mohammed Shaba, the General Manager of Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), has said 395 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are residing in the state.

    He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Minna, the state capital, that most of the IDPs were from the Northeast.

    Shaba said: “We have 107 IDPs from Kalaah Hong Madagli in Adamawa State, who are living in Gurara Local Government Area and 288 IDPs from Gwoza in Borno State, residing in Shiroro Local Government Area.

  • Six dead, property destroyed in Gombe flood

    No fewer than six persons have been confirmed dead and several others displaced with property worth millions destroyed following a flood at the weekend in Gombe metropolis.

    The rainfall that lasted for just over an hour left many houses in parts of the state capital flooded.

    The Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr Danlami Rukujei, who confirmed the casualties, said the destruction caused by the flood was more pronounced in eight wards.

    He said the wards affected include Checheniya, Jakadafari, Dawaki, Heirwagana, Kumbiya-Kumbiya, Ungwar-Uku, Yelenguruza and Bolari.

    He said it was too early to state how many people were displaced and the number of houses affected, stating that the agency will come up with accurate figure as compilation has begun in earnest.

    Rukujei said: “We’ve lost people; people have lost shelters, clothings, beddings and food. About eight areas in Gombe metropolis were most affected.

    “I cannot say now the number of households that have been displaced but the good thing so far is that almost all those who have lost their shelters have found temporary shelters without any need for us to put up any shelter anywhere.

    “We have confirmed the loss of six as of now and they are all adults. It’s a little too early to quantify the magnitude of the loss because apart from shelter, household items and food have been lost. So it is difficult. But from what I have seen, it is going into hundreds of millions.”

    He called on people to desist from developing property along waterways or causing blockades.

    He also advised residents to always clear their drainages to make for easy flow of water while commiserating with the bereaved.

     

  • Rainstorm ravages Calabar

    Rainstorm ravages Calabar

    Residents of Calabar, the Cross River State capital, are counting their losses after a rainstorm ravaged the city on Sunday night.
    The rain, which lasted over six hours, pulled down houses, blew off roofs and caused floods in many parts of the city.
    A statement by the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said 350 homes in Calabar South and Calabar Municipality were  affected.
    Most residents, including women and children, spent the night in the open as they watched their property being swept away.
    When our reporter visited some places, there were household items scattered all over. Many were busy scooping water from their houses.
    The flood was caused by blocked drainage and the narrow nature of some channels, which could not contain the high volume of water.
    A widow, Mrs. Theresa Idum, lamented the loss of her house and property. She urged the government to help rebuild her home.
    Mrs. Grace Minika, whose five buildings were ravaged, said water flowed to the compound though a broken wall.
    SEMA’s Director General Vincent Aquah sympathised with the victims and promised that government agencies would tackle the problem.

  • Relief materials donated

    Leaders of Hausa community in Benue State yesterday donated food items to internally displaced people.

    Head of the delegation Garuba Bala, who presented the items to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), expressed his sympathy to the victims.

    Bala said the crisis had caused untold hardship and pleaded with the warring parties to sheathe their swords.

    Receiving the items on behalf of SEMA, Joseph Akaasar thanked the Hausa community for its gesture.

    Items donated include bags of rice, bags of various grains, toiletries, cartons of vegetable oil, cartons of soap, and cartons of noodle, among others.

  • 2,000 persons displaced by Kaduna villages’ attack — SEMA

    The Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), on Tuesday said it had registered 2,000 persons displaced by the attack on three villages in Kaura Local Government Area.

    The Executive Secretary of the agency, Mr Dogo Makama told newsmen in Kaduna that the agency had assessed the needs of those affected and would soon offer assistance to them.

    He said during the assessment, 240 houses were discovered burnt, 119 people killed, and 22 persons injured and hospitalised.

    Makama said the 2,000 displaced persons had been camped at Bandon Community Secondary school, adding that the agency would this week distribute relief materials to them.

    He listed some of the items to be distributed to include Maize, rice, garri, sugar, palm oil, groundnut oil, bathing soap, washing soap, matterass, blankets, salt, rubber plates and buckets.

    Makama condoled with the residents of the affected communities over the loss, assuring that SEMA would do its best to facilitate their quick return home.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that gunmen had on Saturday, March 16, attacked residents of Angwan Gata, Tyeken and Angwan Sankwai, all in Kaura area of the state.

  • Taraba acting governor sacks 24 special advisers

    Taraba acting governor sacks 24 special advisers

    Taraba State Acting Governor Garba Umar has sacked 24 special advisers and appointed 24 others.

    This was contained in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Garvey Yawe.

    The statement said Abba Akawu is the Special Adviser on Inter-Governmental Affairs, Oliver Suleiman (Labour Matters) while Barshir Marafa(Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs).

    Others are Ibrahim Goje (Political Affairs), Yushau Ahmed (Border Community Development Agency), Atem Ansho (Tourism), Adamu Danjuma (SEMA) and David Irande (Primary Education).

    The acting governor also appointed Hajiya Maryam Zubairu (Students and the Physically Challenged), Atiku Umar (Security) and Mrs. Ankye Abada (Women Affairs).

    Also appointed are Emmanuel Nwunuke (Urban Infrastructure), Buba Madugu, (Commerce and Industries), Muntari Garba (Science, Technical and Higher Education), Orbee Uchiv (Government and Project Monitoring), among others.

    The statement directed all the advisers who were sacked to hand over government property in their possession to appropriate government officials immediately.

     

  • Flood: Abia communities seek help

    Residents of Etiti Ohazu and Amasto Autonomous Communities in Aba South and Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Areas respectively are calling on both National and State Emergency Management Agencies to save them from further flood disasters.

    The communities severely affected are Umuosi, Umungasi, Umule and Umuchichi villages respectively.

    In their separate letters with reference numbers EO/AC/F/7/13 and AA/C/M/30/13 and copies made available to The Nation through an Aba- based NGO (Victims of Crisis Aid Society, VOCAS), attributed the cause of persistent flooding in their areas to improper channelling or lack of drainage system.

    It was gathered that over 250 residents of Umuosi Village in Etiti Ohazu Autonomous Community have been affected by the flood while 100 were also affected at Amasto Autonomous Communities.

    Eze Njoku said: “The uncontrollable natural disaster has made the royal compound (my residence) unfit for habitation during this period and has posed serious threat to the health of people residing in the territory and some other places in the three villages ( Umungasi, Umule and Umuchichi).

    Njoku lamented “the flood has led to catastrophic settlement of buildings, farms and vegetations including the death of non-indigenes at Umungasi River (Iyi Umungasi) which led to the relocation of both indigenes and non-indigenes living in the affected areas”.

    To this end , a letter was addressed to the Executive Secretary, Abia State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) located at Hospital Management Board premises, Aba Road Umuahia through VOCAS. The letter captioned “S.O.S on flood disaster in Etiti Ohazu Autonomous Community Aba South L.G.A of Abia State, Nigeria; An appeal for remedy”, Eze I.I Nnakwu said “The flood disaster is caused by improper channelling of drainage from Aba Township to the borrow pit along Obohia road instead of the ‘Big’ School road gutter leading to the Aba River”.

    Nnakwu noted that if the drainage along Obohia road is re-channelled and drainage constructed in Umuosi village, the disaster of flood in the community will drastically reduced.

    It could be recalled that, following days of torrential rain in the commercial nerve of Abia State flood recently ravaged some areas in the city of Aba resulting, in the destruction of goods and property worth several millions of naira.

    The most affected areas are Ngwa Road axis including East Street, Ehi/Cameroon Roads by Eziukwu, Azuka Extension in Ogbor Hill, Ukwu Mango and some parts of Ariaria market, among others.

    The flood, which depth was put at over four feets in some areas, caused serious damage to household property and goods parked in warehouses and shops. A driver with one of the orthodox churches in the city said the flood destroyed virtually all the household property he had laboured over the years to acquire.

    It was reported that second hand cloth wholesale dealers along Nkodi Road/ East Street also lost goods worth millions of naira were damaged. While traders in some parts of Ariaria int’l market were seen using water pumping machine to pump water out of their lines to A line where there is more space to accommodate the water.

  • How to manage disasters, by experts

    How to manage disasters, by experts

    Experts have warned that current approach to disaster management must be overhauled in order to significantly scale back its adverse effects.

    At a two-day seminar organised for journalists by an NGO, ActionAid and the International Press Centre (IPC) in Lagos, it was agreed that government at all levels need to rise above the ‘charity’ approach with which they are currently handling disasters to the level of ensuring adequate budgets and structure to minimise their occurances.

    The lecture whose theme was: ‘Disaster Communication, Accountability in Disaster Management and Conflict’, was delivered by ActionAid’s Human Security Manager, Gbenro Olajuyigbe. It highlighted the ills of disaster management in the country.

    He decried the lack of accountability in disaster management in the country, noting that most states in the country do not have functioning State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMA).

    Olajuyigbe decried practices where politicians spend money meant for SEMA and incapacitate the agencies such that they lack logistics to carry out their daily activities.

    He lambasted the federal government for doling out the sum of N17.6 billion to states after the flooding incident in 2012, insisting that the federal government failed to monitor how such funds were used or managed.

    In 2012 alone, natural disasters killed nearly 200,000 people, affected more than 300 million others, and caused a record $366 billion in economic damage worldwide, said Olajuyigbe.

    In Nigeria, Olajuyigbe noted that some of the most widespread incidences of catastrophic flooding were recorded from June 2012, such that about 70 per cent of the states were affected.

    According to him, this was in addition to various violent security challenges and outbreaks of conflicts in various regions in the country.

    “Reports and studies have clearly demonstrated that the impact of future disaster is likely to be even more devastating. Disasters are expected to become more frequent in the future and to take a greater toll due to climate change, a growing world population, and more people settling in hazard-prone areas”, Olajuyigbe noted.

    Since Emergency Preparedness/Disaster risk reduction are multifaceted and long-term works  Olajuigbe said media and women groups are central to the effort as encapsulated in the Hyogo Framework of Action.

    He said there was need for accurate disaster mapping as well as data, adding that stakeholders need to be proactive and put adequate infrastructures in place.

    “There is need to ensure accountability and transparency in disaster management, so as to enhance people and state action to understand and reduce vulnerability, access support and embrace the culture of sustainable development.

    “Documentation is also necessary because it helps to manage post-camp integration. The government has to know it has duty to the affected persons and not rendering them favour, hence, there should be a responsibility framework in place and capacity building to develop personnel should be encouraged.

    “Failure on the part of the government to take necessary proactive steps in disaster management leads to the abuse of people’s rights; weakens donors and actors; promote corruption as well as reinforces vulnerability,” he said.

    Also speaking, Director, IPC, Lanre Arogundade highlighted the role of the media in disaster management and declared that the training could not have come at a better time than now when Nigeria is passing through a lot of security and disaster-related challenges.

    He urged journalists to uphold media ethics as well as social responsibility in disaster reporting. He also urged participants to go the extra mile to investigate and write stories that can hold the various stakeholders accountable.

  • How to manage disasters, by experts

    Experts have warned that current approach to disaster management must be overhauled in order to significantly scale back its adverse effects.

    At a two-day seminar organised for journalists by an NGO, ActionAid and the International Press Centre (IPC) in Lagos, it was agreed that government at all levels need to rise above the ‘charity’ approach with which they are currently handling disasters to the level of ensuring adequate budgets and structure to minimise their occurances.

    The lecture whose theme was: ‘Disaster Communication, Accountability in Disaster Management and Conflict’, was delivered by ActionAid’s Human Security Manager, Gbenro Olajuyigbe. It highlighted the ills of disaster management in the country.

    He decried the lack of accountability in disaster management in the country, noting that most states in the country do not have functioning State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMA).

    Olajuyigbe decried practices where politicians spend money meant for SEMA and incapacitate the agencies such that they lack logistics to carry out their daily activities.

    He lambasted the federal government for doling out the sum of N17.6 billion to states after the flooding incident in 2012, insisting that the federal government failed to monitor how such funds were used or managed.

    In 2012 alone, natural disasters killed nearly 200,000 people, affected more than 300 million others, and caused a record $366 billion in economic damage worldwide, said Olajuyigbe.

    In Nigeria, Olajuyigbe noted that some of the most widespread incidences of catastrophic flooding were recorded from June 2012, such that about 70 per cent of the states were affected.

    According to him, this was in addition to various violent security challenges and outbreaks of conflicts in various regions in the country.

    “Reports and studies have clearly demonstrated that the impact of future disaster is likely to be even more devastating. Disasters are expected to become more frequent in the future and to take a greater toll due to climate change, a growing world population, and more people settling in hazard-prone areas”, Olajuyigbe noted.

    Since Emergency Preparedness/Disaster risk reduction are multifaceted and long-term works  Olajuigbe said media and women groups are central to the effort as encapsulated in the Hyogo Framework of Action.

    He said there was need for accurate disaster mapping as well as data, adding that stakeholders need to be proactive and put adequate infrastructures in place.

    “There is need to ensure accountability and transparency in disaster management, so as to enhance people and state action to understand and reduce vulnerability, access support and embrace the culture of sustainable development.

    “Documentation is also necessary because it helps to manage post-camp integration. The government has to know it has duty to the affected persons and not rendering them favour, hence, there should be a responsibility framework in place and capacity building to develop personnel should be encouraged.

    “Failure on the part of the government to take necessary proactive steps in disaster management leads to the abuse of people’s rights; weakens donors and actors; promote corruption as well as reinforces vulnerability,” he said.

    Also speaking, Director, IPC, Lanre Arogundade highlighted the role of the media in disaster management and declared that the training could not have come at a better time than now when Nigeria is passing through a lot of security and disaster-related challenges.

    He urged journalists to uphold media ethics as well as social responsibility in disaster reporting. He also urged participants to go the extra mile to investigate and write stories that can hold the various stakeholders accountable.