NEMA North West, Zonal Coordinator, Abbani Imam Garki was at the 2 Battalion in Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) today on a courtesy visit to the Nigeria Army in Kaduna.
He led a team of staff from the agency’s zonal office and were received by the commanding Officer Lt. Col M.T. Nasiru at 2 Battalion.
In his remark, the ZC said the purpose of the visit is to appreciate the Nigerian Army, most especially the Disaster Response Units (DRUs), for all the support they have been rendering to the agency and to strengthen the existing relationship between the Organisations. He further expressed the need to explore new areas of collaboration in order to enhance service delivery and fulfilment of the mandates of both institutions.
The Commanding Officer appreciated the visit and reaffirmed that the Nigerian Army and NEMA had a long standing mutually beneficial relationship and gave assurance of continued support at all times.
He further stated “with the current growing rate of occurrence and increasing level of severity of disasters in Nigeria and across the world, it has become necessary for NEMA to strengthen its partnership with the Nigerian Air Force to save lives in times of emergency and to promote Disaster Risk Reduction.”
He then reviewed the present situation of the rain season and noted that it has started to confirm the predicted flood, which has started to wreak havoc in some states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
He continued , “the time has come when NEMA will require the support of the Nigerian Air Force in the areas of search and rescue and transportation of personnel, equipment and other life-saving relief items.”
Reaffirming the confidence in the existing partnership between the two organizations, the Director General NEMA said “NEMA and the Nigerian Air Force have conducted series of real life simulation exercises to test the level of preparedness of emergency responders and develop common language of communication to foster a better understanding of life saving roles and responsibilities of frontline actors in times of emergency.”
He restated that NEMA will always count on the support of the Nigerian Air force as a critical partner especially in the areas of search and rescue operation, medical evacuation and the air drop of relief materials to inaccessible locations during sudden onset disasters and emergencies.
On his part, the Chief of Airforce Air Vice Marshal Hassan Bala Abubakar assured that the Nigerian Air force will continue to discharge its responsibilities in the areas of providing supports to civil authorities whenever is required.
However, he recalled the participation of NEMA and the Nigerian Air force in some of past joint simulation training exercises on emergency response and announced that NAF will avail its 22 Disaster Response Units located across the country for deployment to support disaster management activities of NEMA in furtherance to the existing collaboration between the two organizations.
At conclusion, he therefore, assured the sustenance and further strengthening of the existing collaboration between the organisations.
