Flood: NEMA engages Gombe stakeholders on enhancing preparedness, response
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has launched the 2025 National Preparedness and Response Campaign in Gombe State to enhance preparedness and response while reducing impact of flooding on communities.
The Director-General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar while launching the campaign in Gombe on Saturday, reiterated the need for collective approach to disaster management while strengthening preparedness and response awareness at the grassroots.
Umar, who was represented by the Deputy Director of General Services, NEMA, Mr Bitrus Samuel, said the awareness drive to key stakeholders in the state by NEMA is a strategic plan for flood preparedness and response.
She said that the campaign was in response to an early information warning by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
She said that NEMA is determined to bring all grassroots stakeholders on board in efforts to mitigate the impact of flooding, strengthening community resilience and enhancing preparedness and response.
“Our engagement today is to strategise ways of bringing early warning formation to states and communities to adequately prepare for flood and set up strategy to respond to flood if it happens eventually.
“We are doing this to ensure collective approach to preparedness and response because we want the country to be better prepared as disaster preparedness, management, and response are not the work of the government only.”
The DG tasked stakeholders in the state to deepen the sensitisation to people at the grassroots so that those at the rural areas could be more awareness of the impact of flood and what to do when disaster occurs.
Umar commended the Gombe State government for inaugurating a Local Emergency Committee (LEMCs) in the 11 LGAs, this he said, would assist in enhancing preparedness and effective response to flood.
On his part, Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State said that the state remained committed to ensuring effective awareness to reduce flood impact in view of the huge damages that come with such disaster.
Yahaya who was represented by his deputy, Manassah Jatau, restated his administration’s commitment to addressing environmental challenges in the state.
He noted that huge investments had been made by his administration in reclaiming degraded land and sites damaged by erosion.
While inaugurating the Committee, the governor urged them to be proactive and to take the campaign to the people.
On the Committee’s terms of reference, Yahaya said they were to develop report of any form of disaster from the grassroots to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
He added that they were to also, develop an implementation plan to Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Resilience.
“Conduct periodic assessments to identify and mitigate risks, including environmental, physical and human factors affecting the community.
“To adhere strictly to the Disaster Preparedness Plan as design by the State Emergency Management Agency for effective co-ordination,” he said.
The governor also urged communities to ensure that drainages in their domains were cleared while ensuring that wastes were properly disposed in the newly built waste collection centres in various communities.
He commended NEMA for preparing stakeholders for any eventuality of flood and other disasters, stressing that such would strengthen awareness and impact positively on efforts at reducing flood in communities.
Similarly, NEMA in collaboration with SEMA, men of the Fire Service, NiMet and other stakeholders took the awareness on flood and fire outbreaks to London Mai Dorawa community.
In the community, they engaged the locals on practical approach to disaster management.
Speaking on behalf of the community, the District Head of Wuro Laddai in London Mai Dorawa, Mr Abubakar Adamu commended all stakeholders for collaborating to sensitise them on disaster preparedness and response.
