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

'Terrorists are all over, not only Southern Kaduna'

-Governor Nasir el-Rufai el-Rufai addressing Journalists in Hausa after a security meeting on Southern Kaduna By DANGWA DANJUMA G overnor Ahmed Nasir el-Rufai has admitted that terrorists are everywhere in Kaduna state, not only in the troubled Southern Kaduna, disclosing that miscreants have taken to the social media space to promote what he called disturbing and further aggravating the worsening situation situation with religious and ethnic colouration. Speaking to newsmen in Hausa, after a meeting with security officials, el-Rufai said that miscreants from Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and outside Nigeria are trying to insinuate that the Southern Kaduna killings is ethnic and religious even going as far as asking people to take the law into their hands. While maintaining that these people would be brought to book, he tasked traditional leaders, religious leaders and political office holders in the state to speak the truth about the happenings as failing to do so wo...

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...

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...

Media Body moves to make Kaduna Residents more Environment-friendly

Media Executives and Environmentalists at the event By EDDY OCHIGBO, I n a renewed move to make residents more environment friendly and halt the fast changing climate - largely due to negative human activities - a Kaduna-based outfit, Africa Media Development Foundation (AMDF), during the week trained Journalists and critical stakeholders on specialized environment reporting; disaster risk reduction with special emphasis on disaster management, to augment and stimulate participation in mitigating climate change. AMDF's Deputy Executive Director Sekyen Dadik, while outlining the strategies of her organization to carry all and sundry along in the campaign to mitigate climate change lamented: "No doubt, the Earth’s climate has always been changing, but because of human activities it is now changing faster than it has for thousands of years. This climate change is here to stay, and it will affect all of our lives and nearly every aspect of society, from our health and foods supp...

Outcry over a Woman's Inhumanity

DANGWA DANJUMA F ollowing intense investigation and reports by BREKETE FAMILY a flagship radio programme on Human Rights Radio and Television station focusing on human rights abuse, on how Deborah Babaji Longs, a personal assistant to Mrs Mariam Ahmodu Ali, spent three days in a dog’s cage without food or water, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested the wife of former People’s Democratic Party National Chairman and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Col. Ahmodu Ali (rtd). The story of Deborah Babaji Longs, who worked as Mariam’s personal assistant, featured on Human Rights Radio and Television aka ‘Berekete Family’ on Saturday March 26, 2022 following a report of her alleged imprisonment by Mariam Ahmodu Ali. Narrating her ordeal, Deborah told Brekete Family under oath that Col. Ahmodou Ali, his two daughters and a son-inlaw witnessed the life threatening humiliation and blows meted out to her by Mrs Ali in the middle of their living room in their Abu...

Cubinks NEWS

Search This Blog