The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has presented food items and non-food items and relief materials to the Bayelsa State government to help cushion the effects of the flood on the victims.
Fidel Info reports that the food items presented include 1,000 bags of 10kg rice, 1,000 bags of 10kg beans, 1,000 bags of 10kg maize, 75 bags of salt (20kg, and 75 kegs of vegetable oil (201trs). Other food items include 150 cartons of seasoning cubes (Maggi/knorr) and 75 cartons of tin tomato (50 sachets).
The non-food Items include 8,000 pieces of nylon mats, 1,000 pieces of mosquito nets (treated, 600 cartons of bath soap, 2,500 pieces of guinea brocade (5 yards), 1,000 pieces of new children’s wear, 1,000 pieces of new women’s wear and 1,000 pieces of new men’s wear.
Speaking at the formal presentation ceremony, in Yenagoa, yesterday, the Director General of NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed, described the exercise as a significant milestone towards consolidating the mutual support and collaboration between NEMA, and the government of Bayelsa State on disaster management and humanitarian service delivery.
Represented by the Director of Search and Rescue, NEMA, Air Commodore Edward Kolawole Adedokun, said several states of Nigeria including Bayelsa State have suffered widespread flood disasters in the last couple of months, which needs the government’s attention.
He called on the Bayelsa State government to set aside predictable funding for Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, to enable the Agency to intervene timely to save lives and safeguard livelihoods whenever disasters hit.
He said, “The unfortunate flood incidents have resulted in the loss of lives, human displacement, loss of means of livelihood, and socio-economic dislocation. Furthermore, banditry and economic downturn and pre-harvest food shortage have increased the vulnerability of a segment of the populace in the recent past.”
He further stated that “In this regard, the Zonal Office of NEMA has continuously worked with the Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to conduct damage and loss assessments to guide relief intervention to persons in need of support in Bayelsa state.”
“In line with assessments conducted and reports to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR approved the release of 12,000 metric tons of assorted grains from the National Strategic Reserve Stock for distribution to all states of the federation and the FCT.
Kolawole further stated that “Let me say that the Federal government through NEMA cannot compensate persons impacted by disasters. We cannot compensate people for the traumatic experience that have caused set backs. Yet we have to help people to get back on their feet and restart normal life with this type of intervention.”
“The relief intervention is a testimony that the federal Government through NEMA is always concerned about the welfare of the people of Bayelsa State. People or about the wellarnt it wellbeing of the good want to also use this opportunity to appeal to the Governor of Bayelsa state to set up and strengthen Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs) in all the Local Government Areas of Bayelsa state to take disaster risk management to the grassroots in line with global best practices.”
“As we always say; disasters are always local, the lifesaving first responders are always local too. In this regard, I also want to appeal to the governor to set aside a predictable funding to Bayelsa SEMA to enable the Agency intervene timely to save lives and safeguard livelihoods whenever disasters hit.”
Receiving the items on behalf of the state government, Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr David Alagoa, appreciated the federal government agency for identifying with the state during the disaster.
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