Lagos
The House of Representatives Committee on Disaster and Emergency has pledged support to States’ Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) with a to improving their disaster responses to disaster management.
The Chairman of the Committee, Olatunji Olawuyi,gave the pledge when he led other members of the committer on a visit to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) office in Lagos on Wednesday.
He lauded the structure, equipment and coordination of LASEMA, noting that its template was worthy of emulation by other states.
The chairman stressed the need to replicate LASEMA’s operations in other states for effective management of disasters to ensure safety of lives and property and enable some states have the capacity to manage any emergency situation.
He promised that the committee would look into ways of making SEMAs vibrant in terms of support and legislation.
Olawuyi said the house would ensure that Nigeria has valuable place in terms of emergency and disaster management, a replica of United States.
Contributing, the Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Muhammadu Muhammed, commended Lagos State Government for its preparedness, mitigation and response to emergency in the state.
Muhammed, presented by the Director Planning, Research and Forecasts, NEMA, Mr Kayode Fagbemi said that NEMA had received warning alert on flood and ommunicated same to the Governors.
He added that Humanitarian Affairs Minister had addressed the National Economic Council (NEC), on the need to take proactive measures against disaster.
“Flood constitutes one of the disasters facing us in this country and has become perennial.Lagos State should also mobilise its citizens to contribute their quota in mitigating flood.
“There are certain things citizens can do, like clearing their drains, stop dumping waste on water channels and stop building on flood plains.
” LASEMA is the best emergency management agency in Nigeria, we have some SEMAs with two or three staff members, no vehicle and no capacity.
” If all the SEMAs are like LASEMA, NEMA will be able to support and reduce the risk of disasters across the country.
“We appreciate the collaboration, cooperation and coordination we have with LASEMA.
“Many people think SEMAs belong to NEMA. No! SEMA is a state- owned agency. The state governments are to fund SEMA the way the Federal Government is funding NEMA,” he said.
NEMA boss emphasised the imperative of state governments funding their SEMAs to have capacity to respond to emergency situations, adding that when the capability overwhelmed them, NEMA could come to their aids.
Muhammed said that the local Government should also be able to have Local Government Emergency Management Committee, so that everybody would keep aside contingency funds for emergency.
Receiving the committee,the Director-General of LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, also commended the committee and urged support for LASEMA capacity building to enable its emergency responders understand the terrain in other states and offer support during emergency.
Oke-Osanyintolu said that LASEMA also needed capacity building such as equipment, enabling laws, technology among others to boost its operations.
He called for similar efforts at the state lever so that, inter-state responders would improve their knowledge in attending to emergency situation.
Oke-Osanyintolu urged the committee to ensure proper establishment of SEMA in all 36 states for effective and efficiency management of emergency.
The director-general,who commended Gov. Sanwo-Olu for equipping LASEMA, called on other states to replicate Lagos State Government’efforts on management to enhance their operations in disaster management.
