Niger Govt Calls For Attitudinal Change On Disaster Management

The Niger Government on Monday called for attitudinal change towards disaster management in the state.

The General Manager of state Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Malam Mohammed Shaba, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna.

Shaba said that positive attitudinal change would help reduce the damages that occur during raining seasons in coastal areas.

He said that the agency had embarked on education of the public through the mass media and rallies across the state to bring about change on how people tackle disaster challenges.

He disclosed that NSEMA has built a one stop emergency coordination centre in collaboration with the police, the state fire academy, Red Cross and a team of medical personnel’s that would assist to minimize  disaster epidemic.

“We have lost quiet a number of people to disaster because people on their part deliberately neglect their environment. I advise those in public places or offices to be mindful of using those appliances capable of causing fire outbreak.

“We have established the state one stop emergency coordination team. It is centres for distress calls to enable us respond quickly and appropriately to disaster outbreak.

“The centre also has an alert system, a fire alarm that alerts the agency of any disaster outbreak for a quick response.

“We also have resilience centres for the state and also for disaster communities to help people respond to disaster on their own,” he said.

Shaba, however, enjoined, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to establish a zonal office in the state independent of its existing office in the state, stressing that it will enhance quick response to disaster.

“NEMA should not only focus on giving relief materials alone to disaster victims, money should be added that would assist them set up a small business.

“NEMA should be more scientific, intellectually oriented to re-empower disaster victims.

“They should introduce skills acquisition programme that would train disaster victims to be entrepreneurs,” he urged. (NAN)