National Emergency Management Agency Addresses Recent Flood Disaster in Borno

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has explained its response to the recent flood disaster in Borno State.

Speaking with RadioNow’s Buhari Abubakar…Mr. Seraju Garba, the NEMA Coordinator in Borno State, explained that after the September 10 flood disaster in the state, the agency worked with a committee created by the State Governor to distribute relief materials to flood victims.

“After the September 10th flood incident this year, agency responded by providing food, non-food items, water purifying machines and additional personnel also from some other offices that are close to us and even from Abuja. We reached out to the affected because there was a committee that was created by His Excellency the State Governor Professor Babagana Umarazulum where key partners were invited to be on the same platform which comprised of membership of over 42 agencies the EFCC, ICPC, NEMA, SEMA, UN agencies like UNHCR, FAO, UNDP and a host of others. Civil society organizations included and the media.”

Also Read: NEMA Provides Relief Materials to Flood Victims in Kano and Jigawa States

“We had enumerators from the Geometrographical Information System where all the areas that were inundated were identified via satellite imagery and an enumeration exercise was carried out where verification was conducted by our officers through the committee and other members as I have highlighted and support was given to all the affected or I would say majority of those affected because definitely you still have complaints. When the incident occurred, IDP camps were opened, you know, because people could not stay in their houses. That was the first line of response.One, evacuation of trapped persons in those areas. Then secondly, identifying those areas which were given by the state government to house persons that were affected. Places like Bakasi Camp, Gubiyo Camp, Teachers Village Camp, they were housed there before other activities were carried out.”

Mr. Garba emphasized the importance of being cautious with fire to prevent outbreaks during the harmattan period.

“We have been teaching them and educating them using the strength we have in the NYFC so that they could reach out and pass this message of what we have taught them on how to handle fires from domestic fires in the kitchen and also how to avoid these accidents most especially with the lives that we have lost as a result of people going to either scoop for when we have tanker accidents and what have you. So we are calling on Nigerians not to put their lives in danger because of a little thing that they could get, you know, as a result of these things. We should look out to how we handle fires from our homes and also try to control our youths, you know, educate them and enlighten them that there is nothing, you know, you could get from this scooping of either petroleum products when an accident happens.We are calling on Nigerians to watch out, avoid storage of the combustible materials and also to enlighten our youth, most especially with crowd control when there is an accident people should not gather, go and watch, they should leave those that are trained to do the work to do their work.”

He called on Nigerians to be mindful of their safety, especially during accidents, and to avoid storing combustible materials.