The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has requested the National Assembly to support its efforts towards rebuilding resilient communities affected by the 2012 flooding in the country.
The Director-General of the Agency, Alhaji Muhammad Sidi, made the request at a retreat organised for members of the House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness in Lagos.
Sidi said that the agency needed the support of the committee through legislative procedures and oversight functions.
He explained that the retreat was aimed at creating a platform for both sides to exchange ideas on the strategies and approaches to fulfil respective mandates on emergency and disaster preparedness.
“This is important, especially on their roles in passing our budget, oversight duties, and passion for the plight of those in distress.”
The director stressed the need for members to strengthen disaster management policies and enhance the effectiveness of legislative support to the agency.
Such legislative support, he said, would enable NEMA to achieve its mandate.
In his keynote address, the Committee Chairman, Mr Ifedayo Abegunde, commended the Federal Government for equipping the agency with requisite capacity building on disaster management in line with global trends.
Abegunde observed that the retreat would broaden the scope of members on the management of disaster-related issues.
He added that it would equally promote interpersonal relationship among the committee members and the agency.
He, however, said that the capacity of the agency needed to be enhanced for prompt response to emergency and disaster- related incidents in order to reduce losses associated with disasters.
