Disaster Risk Reduction campaign intensified!

Participants in an experience sharing session

Following increased vulnerability of the people to wide-ranging hazards in communities across Kaduna state, leading members of civil society organizations in the state, during the week underwent a two-day training on Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR), with emphasis on disaster management systems to augment and stimulate participatory tools of the targeted stakeholders.

The training, packaged by Christian Aid, touched on stages of disaster management, disaster risk reduction, risk, hazard, including early warning systems as well as the know how to strengthen governance systems on disaster risk reduction, especially in disaster-prone communities.

First to speak was Professor Edwin Iguisi of the Disaster Management Department of the Ahmadu University(ABU), Zaria. While dwelling on vulnerability and the difference between hazard and disaster, Professor Iguisi emphasized that disaster risk reduction, hinged on functional and early warning system, were key because 'prevention is better than cure'.

"How do we ensure that we have functional early warning systems before disasters rear their ugly heads. And whatever we do around early warning system must be concrete and timely. Hazard becomes a disaster when a community is overwhelmed. We also have what we call complex or multiple disasters where a disaster leads to other disasters", Professor Iguisi volunteered, pointing out that given the need for effective mitigation and prevention of disasters, it has become absolutely necessary for environmentalists, environmentally-inclined individuals and groups to collaborate and share understanding on the context and principles that determine disaster risk reduction.

On his part, Christian Aid's Senior Programme Coordinator, Disaster Management, Mr Bamidele Fagbite reasoned that using government and institutional interventions to mitigate or prevent disasters were insufficient, hence the two-day training for stakeholders in charity sector.

"The emphasis now is to empower the communities to take ownership of what intervention entails. This will go a long way in reducing vulnerabilities and strengthen people's capacities to cope with hazards from time to time", Fagbite disclosed.

The Zonal Coordinator North West of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Isah Chonoko, while addressing participants at the engagement, maintained that effective disaster management must be holistic, apolitical and down-to-earth.

According to Chonoko, disaster management is everybody's business, adding that the involvement of non-state actors in the DRR campaign was a welcome development.

On what he calls comprehensive school safety framework in disaster risk reduction (DRR), Program Officer Christian Aid, Mr Emmanuel Danjuma, said it "is a strategy designed to ensure safety in schools where most of our adolescents are concentrated".

Convener of the Network of Civil Society in Environment, Gloria Bulus who played a significant role in mobilizing participants, expressed appreciation to Christian Aid for recognizing civil society in the campaign to reduce, mitigate and manage disaster in the country.

Comments

Jema'a Council boss seeks support of civil society on OGP

I n his bid to institutionalize the ongoing local government reforms in Kaduna state especially the principles of Open Government Partnership (OGP), the Chairman of Jema'a Local Government Council has solicited support of civil society in promoting transparency, accountability and improve service delivery that would impact positively on the lives of the people in his local government. Council Chairman, Hon Danjuma Peter Averik, who made this known when he paid a courtesy visit to officials of Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn(PERL/DFID) in their Kaduna office, said his visit became necessary to solicit for partnership against the backdrop of his passionate desire to engender transparency and accountability in his administration. "I am here to seek for collaboration that can help in institutionalizing key local government reforms especially the OGP and Local Government Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (LFTAS) program towards improvin...

Mix reactions trail Kaduna LG Elections

Voters in Jema'a follow results to collation Centre at Kafanchan By Dangwa Danjuma T wenty-four hours after closure of balloting in the Saturday May 12, polls in the state, Returning Officers in some of the LG areas are no where to be found. Cubinks investigations reveal that election results for all the 255 wards of all the Local Government areas would have been collated before now, were it not for the absence of the runaway Returning Officers. "The returning officers have left election officials, party agents with tensed voters stranded at polling units; and are nowhere to be found. In Jema’a, 5 wards namely Aso, Atukun, Badeh, Takau and Maigizo have turned in their results to the Local Government collation Centre and could not find the Local Government returning officer to receive the result", fumed one of the frustrated voters. Our Correspondent gathered that the situation is not different in Birnin Gwar...

2023: Key stakeholders harp on issues-based campaign in Kaduna

From (L) Hayatudeen Makarfi (PRP), Jonathan Asake (LP), John Ayuba (PDP) & Andrew Duya (APGA) A s the kick-off of electioneering and political activities draw near, members of the electorate and civil society organizations, in collaboration with political observers have emphasized the need for issues-based campaign towards the forthcoming 2023 general elections. The stakeholders made this known at an agenda-setting dialogue with governorship candidates in the state, organized by Partnership for issues-based Campaign in Nigeria (PICAN) supported by Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL/FCDO) in conjunction with Legal Awareness for Nigerian Women (LANW We-You Pro). NATIONAL ACCORD reports that the 2023 gubernatorial election in Kaduna state would be critical as citizens through various accountability mechanisms during the week engaged the candidates of four political parties on issues which touch on insecurity, healthcare, poverty alleviation, education, social protectio...

Expert advocates for prudence and and accountability in Treasury Management

By EDDY OCHIGBO L ack of efficient and prudent treasury management in the country have been identified as the source of fraud and sharp practices in nation's public and private sector. Dropping the hint during a breakfast meeting with Correspondents in Kaduna during the week, the Registrar and Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Treasury Management of Nigeria, Mr Adedoyin Olumide, reiterated that poor treasury management remains the bane of public and private finance utilization in the country, calling for greater synergy among all professionals in accounting, banking and finance. He disclosed tha...

Coalition urges COP-27 to fast track advocacy against Climate Change

Participants in a group photograph after the event in Kaduna By EDDY OCHIGBO, A coalition of environmental organizations in Kaduna, under the aegis Extinction Rebellion (XR) - a global movement which seeks to persuade governments to act justly on climate change and ecological emergency - has hosted a pre-COP27, in partnership with Bridge-that-Gap Initiative, to galvanize the campaign against climate change, as the the 27th Conference of Parties slated for Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt kicks off. In an exclusive interview with NATIONAL ACCORD, one the coordinators of the event in Kaduna metropolis, Mr Zinta Akpoko, revealed that COP27, Egypt could become a turning point of the campaign, given that forerunners of the conference have since pledged to relentlessly push to prioritize climate financing for developing nations. "The effect of climate change is very evident and we need to be very frank by telling the truth about the inherent dangers tha...

Cubinks NEWS

Search This Blog