Kaduna trains Field Officers on Hazard Profiling

Executive Secretary SEMA, Abubakar Hassan addressing participants

By EDDY OCHIGBO

Sequel to the growing concern and vulnerability of people in communities across the length and breadth of Kaduna state, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), during the week, trained no fewer than 30 Field Officers on Hazard profiling and mapping to mitigate possible disasters in the state, particularly in the hinterland.

The two-day capacity building exercise - which among other things, dwelled on vulnerability, hazard and disaster - touched on functional and early warning system concept of Disaster Risk Reduction, Emergency Response, hazard profiling and mapping.

In an interview with Correspondents at the event, SEMA's Executive Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Hassan revealed that Kaduna state in its renewed plan to tackle possible disasters is currently working round the clock to arrest emergencies ranging from fire, flooding and the like.

"SEMA is now at different levels of reviewing the contingency plan of the state, so that at end of the day, we would be able to create a document that would allow us understand the different hazards throughout the state and then build the contingency plans around all the early warning signals that this project would address. The Field Officers undergoing the training were meticulously chosen from the 23 Local Government Councils to liaise with the Local Government Emergency Management Committee - the Vice Chairmen of the Local Government Councils. The field officers would after the training be deployed to all 23 Local Government Councils to meet with the vice chairmen to discuss and understand the terms of reference and objectives of the whole exercise", Hassan revealed.

The Executive Secretary stressed the need for the field officers to work hand in hand with the vice chairmen towards the success of the exercise. "It is important and critical that we get the field officers in to understand and also to relay to the Vice Chairmen that they would be supported by the field officers, who would be on ground in all the local council areas to interact with vice chairmen and the community to ensure that the programme is a resounding success because all logistics including transportation, feeding for the field officers would be provided by the state government", Hassan disclosed, assuring that adequate preparations have being made to prevent disasters in the state.

The Executive Secretary blamed the frequent fire disasters in the state on what he calls "attitudinal behaviour of people who are totally ignorant about hazards and early warning signals", pointing out that such gaps made the steps being taken to mitigate disasters absolutely necessary to prepare for the rainy day.

"We must get the people sensitized and informed about early warning signals. What we are doing is a bottom-top approach. We want to get to the communities and interact with them directly, let them get to understand what they need to do in case they are confronted by emergency situations. Even before the flood prediction of NIMET, we had been able to assess some of the communities prone to flood and came up with plans on how to bring such emergencies under control. The ultimate goal is to take SEMA to the door steps of the people and we are almost getting there, Hassan enthused.

An Eyesore at one of the disaster-prone sites in the suburbs

On his part, Mr Abbas Danjuma, a participant and member of Coalitions of Associations, Leadership, Peace, Empowerment and Development (CALPED), a Kaduna based civil society organization, told CUBINKS NEWS that,"the existing Contingency Plan of the state which is long overdue for a review did not identify some hazards which have become frequent in recent time, a setback affecting planning for resilience, mitigation and response. The new contingency plan is promising to both the people and the government at local, state and federal levels for proper strategy on disaster management and risk reduction in the state".

The recently concluded training on hazard profiling by SEMA which is being supported by United States International Agency for Development's (USAID) Nigeria Early Recovery Initiative (NERI), deployed trainees on the second day of the training, to three communities in the suburb of Kaduna metropolis, namely: Rafin Giza, Romi and Ungwan Matari to test run their newly acquired stills and tools in preparation for their primary assignment at the grassroots.

Comments

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...

Climate Action: Hope rises for Kaduna!

A multi-stakeholder project to plant 10 million economic trees in Kaduna state in the next six years is in the works towards enhancing the state's vegetal cover, in accordance with the renewed global campaign against climate change. Head, Social and Enterprise Development of the Coalition of Associations for Leadership, Peace, Empowerment and Development (CALPED), Dangwa Abbas Danjuma who dropped the hint during the week in Kaduna while on a courtesy visit to the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, explained: "The Coalition is interested in driving a multi-stakeholder project to plant 10 million economic trees in Kaduna State on or before the end of the year 2025, this is towards re-greening Kaduna. We desire to do so across local governments in the state to empower citizens to take action against deforestation through community based groups with a sustainability plan to develop a robust value chain to improve livelihoods." While apprec...

NEWS FEATURE: Governor el-Rufai and the Sanctity of the Ballot

el-Rufai: Voting at his polling unit BY NASIRU JAGABA F irst of all, let me start by congratulating the Citizens of Kaduna State, for violence free election in the local government polls. The peaceful conduct of the citizens in Kaduna despite the happenings that had shown clearly the desperation of persons in the corridor of power to manipulate, overturn the result refused to give in to the chaos but rather responded with all sense of maturity and confidence in the sanctity of the ballot. Had Kaduna responded in similar desperation as shown by the institutional riggers, perhaps curfew would have been slammed in several areas which would have created the perfect cover for the malpractices to happen. The hate speeches and incitement from the top government officials in Kaduna state government did not end on the platforms for the campaigns alone but went further to reflect in the exercise that held. There are several accounts going round about thugs accompanyin...

Kaduna COVID-19 Lockdown, People Living with Disabilities and Inclusion

Chairman JONAPWD, Abdulaziz Suleiman , (Right) and a colleague (Middle) in a chat with CALPED's Yusuf Goje By SMITH WAYA Before the index case of Corona virus (Covid-19) in Nigeria, the Kaduna state government held a public hearing on the proposed Kaduna state social protection policy, in line with the administration's slogan of putting the people first. The Joint National Associations of Person with Disability(JONAPWD), Kaduna chapter, as the umbrella body for people living disabilities in the State, were invited to present a position paper on their expectations of the new policy. The Disability Community took advantage of the town-hall meeting to appeal to the state government to work assiduously towards reducing poverty and hunger in their household. The Governor, Mallam Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai, assured them of the state government's commitment in ensuring that no one is left behind especially people living with disabilities. Incidently, as the State governm...

Open Budget: Kaduna seeks citizens' input in 2020 Budget

F ollowing sustained campaign by concerned citizens and critical stakeholders in Kaduna state to open up the budget cycle, the Governor el-Rufa'i-led administration, during the week, engaged the representatives of the academia, community-based organizations, the civil society, women groups and individuals on state's 2020 to 2022 Medium Term Expenditure Framework(MTEF) to make next year's budget budget realistic and realizable. The event tagged 'Citizens Consultations on 2020-2022 MTEF' which was put together by the state's Planning and Budget Commission with the support of DFID-funded Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL), took a critical look at strategies to forge a people-centered budget with emphasis on transparency, openness and accountability. Co-chair of the Open Government Partnership(OGP) in the state, Alhaji Mustapha Jumare told participants that as a sub national, Kaduna state was indeed a trail brazer in nation's quest ...

Cubinks NEWS

Search This Blog