NEMA Issues Flood Warning in the North

NEMA Issues Flood Warning  in the
North

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) under the
auspices of NEMA Sokoto Operations office embark on sensitization
and awareness campaign to ensure adequate emergency preparedness,
mitigation and response to flood disaster.

Worried by the repetitive nature of flooding for more than a
decade, NEMA has discovered that for planning any flood management
measures, reliable, accurate, timely information, publicity,
sensitization and awareness campaigns are required to reduce the
anticipated impacts, to this end.

The Director General, NEMA, AVM Muhammad Alhaji Mohammed who was
represented by the Head of Planning, Research and Forecasting Unit,
Tukur Abubakar stated that the agency is taking bold steps to
tackle the impending likely flood incidents that may occur as
predicted by NIMET.

He said, the predicted normal rainfall may result in flash
flooding particularly in the North West which, Zamfara, Sokoto and
Kebbi states falls in here. Hence, there is need for sensitization
of NEMA, and other relevant agencies.

“The remote causes of flood includes construction on waterways,
constant indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainages especially
polythene bags and non-distilling of drainages which led to
blockage of waterways is one of associated major risk factors in
floods.” He added..

The aims and objectives of the sensitization and awareness
campaign which was held in Gusau is:

To sensitize the communities living in the flood prone
areas.

To pay advocacy visits to the relevant states, MDAs and DRUs in
the respective areas.

To inspect the available high and safe grounds for possible
utilization as IDPs camp when needed.

To encourage people living along the flood plains and waterways
to relocate to safe areas during the peak of the rains.

To assess the impact of damage on the communities already
ravaged by the flooding.

To identify relevant stakeholders to ascertain their level of
preparedness.

The Honourable Commissioner of Environment, Zamfara state, Dr.
Nurudeen Isah and the SA to the state Governor on Humanitarian
Affairs and Management, Faika Marshall led the sensitization
campaign team to the exercise.

Ali Mohammed

Information Officer

NEMA Operations Office, Sokoto.

………….

NEMA Commences Sensitization on Flood  preparedness,
Response and mitigation

Following the recent prediction of possible flooding across the
country, Director General NEMA AVM Muhammadu Muhammed retired has
called on response agencies and other stakeholders to ensure
preparedness and activate mitigation efforts by educating the
general public on effects of floods and how to respond to flood
disaster.

As a result of  the Early warning alert by NEMA, Officials
of NEMA North East zonal office led by the Acting Zonal coordinator
Ishaya Isah Chonoko were in various IDP camps and host communities
within Maiduguri  to enlighten Internally Displaced persons
IDPs on preventive measures to avoid flooding.

Other stakeholders present at the sensitization exercise include
officials of Borno state Emergency Management Agency,BOSEMA
Ministry of Environment,Borno state Environmental protection Agency
BOSEPA, Zulumgogreen NGO and Nigerian Red Cross Society.

Abdulkadir Ibrahim

Principal Information Officer NEMA North East Maiduguri

13.08.2020