By Stanley Onyekwere
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says it will ensure that the FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD) has the legal backing to operate as an agency.
The Head, Abuja Operations Office of NEMA, Mr. Zakari Abubakar gave the assurance when he paid a courtesy visit to FEMD.
This was contained in statement from FEMA’s Head Public Affairs, Nkechi Isa.
“ By the Act creating NEMA,it is our prerogative to ensure that the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), is created, institutionalized and operational in every state in the country”, Abubakar was quoted in the statement.
He requested for the copy of the draft bill seeking to upgrade FEMD to an agency, with a view to resolving grey areas.
Describing FEMD as a critical stakeholder, Abubakar promised to strengthen the existing collaboration in areas of intervention on vulnerable people and training with a view to taking disaster management to the next level in the FCT.
In response, the Acting Director General of FEMD, Engr Abdulrahman Mohammed underscored the importance of a SEMA in the FCT.
According to Abdulrahman, the FCT witnesses the daily influx of Nigerians, particularly the vulnerable.
“FCT has a lot of vulnerable people, because when they face crises they run to the FCT. But people don’t see this,they only see the city center”, he said.
The Ag DG appealed to NEMA for support in the areas of equipment, training, provision of vocational tools and empowerment items for vulnerable groups.
