In an effort to prevent and control disasters through the federation, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA has raised Grassroots Emergency Volunteer Corps members at the Community level aimed at mitigating the menace of disaster and improving our people’s attitude towards disaster management.
The Director General of the agency, AVM Mohammed Audu-Bida, said NEMA adopts the new strategy of bottom-to-top approach to develop a rapid response group within the community that would render immediate assistance in the case of any emergency.
Audu-Bida added that since disaster does not discriminate, concerted efforts are required to assuage its effect as he emphasized that all three tiers of government are responsible for managing disasters through sensitization, mobilization and equipping the citizens on the challenges ahead.
Represented at the official launching of the corps in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State by the agency’s Director of Relief and Rehabilitation, Dr. Olusegun Ojo, the Director General said that taking disaster management to the grassroots was deliberately designed for timely information gathering, early warning, prevention, mitigation and intervention.
He assured the public that the paradigm sift in disaster management from intervention to Disaster Risk Reduction would be sustained.
The Emergency Corps(GEVOC) will assist the agency with information on communities that are vulnerable to disaster. The new initiative of NEMA is part of its Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) measures which is a systematic development and application of policies, strategies and practice aimed at minimizing vulnerabilities and disaster risk in the society.
NEMA is collaborating with similar agencies at states and local government levels to establish, train and kits the volunteer groups to help save lives and properties.
In recent times there have been reported cases of natural hazards in the country such as flooding and erosion menaces which require immediate response and support of people on grounds.
Most of the volunteers for Emergency Corps have decided to sacrifice their time, in spite of other commitments in serving the humanity and fatherland.
