The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has alerted the public to be wary of fire, conflict, flood and other emergency related disasters. Head of Gombe Operations Office, Hajia Amina Ahmad, gave the warning in Bauchi at a stakeholders meeting on Sunday.
Ahmad, who is controlling Bauchi State, also enjoined members of the public to give the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) maximum support and ensure they get married to them to reduce the trauma they are going through. She said disaster is everybody’s business while urging residents to desist from building structures on the waterways.
“People must imbibe the culture of afforestation immediately after deforestation to abate the experience of desertification, which caused Bauchi some millions of naira in June”, she warned.
A communiqué was issued to address disaster management in the state. It lamented that fire, flood and conflict were the major disasters confronting Bauchi, adding that more people are engaging in deforestation, which is leading to desertification.
The communiqué reads in part: “There is need for adequate sensitisation and awareness campaign of the public for them to know the effects of disaster. People living in flood prone areas should adhere to early warning signals and in case of resistance, there is need for enforcement by the state government.”
Guardian
