Tag: Sani Sidi

Flood Alerts: NEMA Confident Government Is Prepared To Avert Crisis

flood, adamawaThe National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Nigeria believes the Federal and State governments are better prepared to avert a humanitarian crisis after recent flood alerts.

The Director General of NEMA, Sani Sidi, expressed hopes of government’s readiness during an emergency humanitarian coordination forum held on Tuesday.


At the forum were different agencies of government and some international agencies and talks focused on contingency plans in response to the flood alert.

Mr Sidi said the early warning provided must be matched with early action.

Some of the devastation left behind by the flood disaster that occurred in 2012 were considered and in a bid to avert recurrence, the forum participants worked on an action plan.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency had issued a flood alert few days ago.

Charting a course for discussions at the meeting, the Director General of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, Moses Beckley, read out figures his agency had in relation to the flood of 2012.

A presentation was also made on the flood alert, the contingency plan that has been put in place and the role of the different agencies involved.

The Director General of NEMA said a lot of work was being done with the state governments to avert humanitarian crisis.

A few things that have been made clear at the meeting was that time was short, local action was very important and that just cleaning drainages would go a long way to ensure that the coming flood would not lead to humanitarian crisis.

Days after the alerts were issued, the Kano State Relief And Emergency Agency (SARERA), confirmed that at least 5,300 houses have been destroyed by flood in six local government areas of Kano State.

According to the Executive Secretary of the Agency, Mr Aliyu Bashir, the affected local government areas include, Bebeji, Dawakin Kudu, Kiru Shanono, Bagwai and Garun Mallam.

Mr Bashir said over 2,300 houses were affected in Dawakin Kudu, while about 600 houses in each of the remaining five areas were also destroyed by the flood.

Military Begins Rehabilitation Of Repentant Insurgents

Military, Insurgents, Boko Haram MilitantsThe Military has begun the process of reintegrating repentant members of the Boko Haram sect into the society.

The rehabilitation is part of the ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to rebuild Nigeria’s Northeast region, following terrorists’ attacks that have caused devastating damage in the region.

The National Security Council has mandated the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin, to receive the repentant terrorists with a view to rehabilitating them.

The Director of Production, Defence Headquarters, Air Vice Marshal Emmanuel Anebi, who represented General Olonisakin, received various items for usage in the camp situated in Gombe, northeast Nigeria.

He said the programme, Operation Safe Corridor, was designed to receive surrendering Boko Haram members and take them through a process that would reintegrate them back to the society.

The Chairman of Operation Safe Corridor, Brigadier General Bamidele Shafa and the Executive Secretary of NHRC, Professor Bem Angwe, hinted that series of programmes have been earmarked for the process.

They reeled out different vocations and skill acquisition programmes to be held on camp towards reintegrating the repentant combatants into the society.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said that it has contributed its quota to the programme to make the camp conducive for the repentant militants.

Director General of NEMA, Mr Sani Sidi, disclosed that the agency has donated several items ranging from food and edibles to bedding materials as well as resource persons and camp officials required to carter for them.

The repentant terrorists now have a chance to begin normal life again, even as the military is currently conducting mop-up operations to clear the remnants of the terrorists.

NEMA Presents Yobe Fire Victims Immediate Succour

KanoThe National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has presented succour to fire disaster victims in Gashua town of Yobe State in north-east Nigeria.

Fire had last week razed down 20 shops at the Gashua central market where lots of valuables were destroyed.

Presenting the materials at a ceremony held at the palace of the Emir of Bade in Gashua town on Friday, the Director General of NEMA, Sani Sidi, said his office received report of the inferno from the Senator of the zone, after which he directed the Zonal Coordinator to take stock of the damage, development that led to the presentation of the relief materials.

‘Timely Intervention’

The DG, who pledged to continue attaining to emergency needs of accident and disaster victims, directed that the materials be distributed to the affected persons to serve the purpose for which it was meant.

The State Governor, Ibrahim Geidam, represented at the occasion by the State Coordinator of the State Emergency Management Agency, Idi Jidawa, thanked NEMA for the gesture describing it as a ‘timely intervention’ that would help the victims greatly.

While sympathising with victims of the inferno, the Governor also appreciated the role played by Senator Ahmed Lawan for the timely notification of NEMA about the sad development.

Senator Lawan, on his part, appreciated the timely intervention of  NEMA for coming to the rescue of the affected persons.

The Senator, who made a personal donation of five million Naira, hoped the victims would judiciously use the money and the materials realised from various donors to start up another source of their livelihoods.

The Emir of Bade, Abubakar Suleiman II, who received the materials for onward distribution to the affected persons, thanked all that contributed in supporting the victims and assured them that the materials and the money donated, would be shared accordingly.

The fire inferno destroyed shoes, wears, electronics, provisions among several other valuables in shops and warehouses at some segments of the Gashua Central Market in northern senatorial zone of Yobe State.

Items presented to the victims include; Cement, Zinc, plight wood, ceilings, Grains, Rice among several others.

NEMA Advocates Policy Framework To End Humanitarian Crisis

NEMA Urges Solutions To Humanitarian CrisisThe National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has called for policies that would help address the humanitarian crisis in north-east Nigeria.

This appeal was made by the Director General of NEMA, Sani Sidi, at a joint meeting with the military, African Union and other civil organisations in Abuja on Tuesday.

Mr Sidi stressed the need for a framework that would support responses to the humanitarian crisis in the north-east and other crisis ridden parts of Africa.

According to him, the meeting was organised to discuss a framework to solve the humanitarian crisis both in the north-east and elsewhere.

A representative of the African Union at the meeting, Mr Jeanine Cooper, said the meeting would strengthen an already existing collaboration between the military and civilians in responding to humanitarian crisis.

NEMA Donates Drugs To Hospitals In Adamawa

KanoThe National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has donated drugs and other medical items to hospitals in Yola.

The benefiting hospitals are those mostly used during emergency situations occasioned by insurgency attacks.

Over 30 items and drugs which include: Dextrox and saline water, surgical gloves, Iodine, Spirits, Syringes and needles, cotton wool, antiseptic, amocillin, metronidazole and many others were distributed.

The donated items according to NEMA, are to be used to treat injured persons currently receiving medical attention, as a result of suicide bomb attacks in Yola.

It is also aimed at supporting the hospitals to do more in responding to emergency cases.

NEMA’s Coordinator in Adamawa State, Sa’ad Bello, who presented the items on behalf of the Director General of NEMA, Sani Sidi, said the Agency believed that the hospitals overstretched their facilities during emergency situation hence the need to assist.

Hospitals visited were the Federal Medical Centre, Yola Specialist Hospital and Peace Hospital, the only private hospital involved in assisting the victims.

In all the hospitals visited, the Medical Directors expressed appreciation to NEMA for identifying with the wounded and promised to continue doing their best for the victims.

The Head of Service to Adamawa State Government, who represented Adamawa State Governor, Mohammed Jibrilla, in the presentation, applauded the Federal Government for establishing NEMA and thanked them for their gesture.

Buhari Decorates War Heroes In Yola

Muhammadu-Buhari-in-Yola President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday decorated brave war heroes with a Purple Heart medal, an award given to troops who fought for six months under ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’.

The decoration of the soldiers took place in Yola, during President Buhari’s visit to the State.

President Buhari, on arrival, was received at the Yola International Airport by the Governor of Adamawa State, Senator Mohammad Umaru Jibrilla, the Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara and other dignitaries including a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

Muhammadu-Buhari-Honours-Soldiers
President Muhammadu Buhari and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General General Tukur Buratai, before the medals were handed out to the soldiers

The President inspected a guard of honour by the 23rd Armoured Brigade of the Nigeria Army after which he was invited by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, to present the medals to the wounded soldiers.

After decorating the soldiers with the medals, President Buhari expressed his confidence on their ability to end the activities of Boko Haram terrorists in the oil-rich nation’s north-east.

Visit To IDPs Camp In Yola

After the medal presentation, the President visited the Malkohi Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Yola in the southern part of Adamawa State.

He told the IDPs that the Boko Haram terrorists do not represent any religion, stressing that the terror group is set to disintegrate Nigeria.

President Buhari described the condition of the IDPs as unfortunate and called on them to remain calm, as the government was working towards returning them to their homes.

The President said: “The government is proactive about rebuilding your Schools, hospitals and homes”.

The chairman of IDPs in Malkohi IDPs camp, Mr Nicholas Samuel, thanked the Federal and State governments for coming to their aid and appealed to the President to facilitate their return to their homes.

Governor Jibrilla had earlier told the President that one of the major concerns of the State government was the welfare and wellbeing of the displaced persons.

The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Sani Sidi, told the President that at present, the camp had 80 pregnant women and 175 unaccompanied children.

Osinbajo Advocates Joint Efforts In Tackling Insurgency

Osinbajo Advocates Cooperation In Tackling InsurgencyThe Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has emphasised the need for joint efforts among humanitarian agencies tackling the Boko Haram insurgency.

At a two-day event powered by the Presidential Initiative on Northeast Nigeria as well as the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) held in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, VP Osinbajo talked about the challenges of rebuilding the disturbed region.

The meeting, which had the Governors of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states as well as Deputy Governors of Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba states in attendance, was organised to develop and adopt a plan as well as national response to issues surrounding insurgency in the Northeast.

It was also aimed to foster coordination among humanitarian agencies with a view to ensuring comprehensive and efficient coverage.

The Vice President, however, expressed the Federal government’s commitment to meaningful partnerships that would bring lasting solutions to the insurgency and its attendant effects.

The Director General of NEMA, Sani Sidi, noted that the population of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria is ranked third highest in the world, hence recent efforts to resettle IDPs in their original homes.

A representative of the World Health Organization in Nigeria (WHO), Rati Ndlovu, stressed the agency’s satisfaction with local efforts in cushioning the post insurgency effects.

The Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, also expressed optimism that the Nigerian troops are winning the war against the insurgents.

Borno Govt. Intends To Close IDP Camps Next Year

Borno Govt Intends To Close IDP Camps Next YearThe Borno State government says it intends to close all Internally Displaced People (IDP)’s camps by the first quarter of 2016.

Three out of the 20 Local councils sacked by insurgents since early this year have concluded plans to return to their original homes, following its liberation.

Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, made known his plans on rebuilding of lost homes and closing up makeshift camps.

He called on the UN and other Non-Governmental Organisations to look beyond taking care of the IDPs camps to resettling the displaced persons.

“Our people need to go back home, resettled and pick up the pieces of their lives,” Governor Shettima said.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is also channelling its intervention programme towards rebuilding of destroyed communities.

NEMA’s Director General, Sani Sidi, observed that the agency had supported the development by donating building materials, as more communities prepare to return home. The agency also gave food items to the returning IDPs.

A Boko Haram suspect arrested by the youth vigilante group,who confessed to have masterminded recent suicide bombings in Mulai and Umarari, was later paraded before the State governor and NEMA officials.

NEMA, however, noted that some of the bomb victims would be taken to the National Hospital Abuja for further treatment.

NEMA Donates Relief Materials To Kebbi Flood Victims

NEMA Donates Relief Materials To Kebbi Flood VictimsThe National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has donated relief materials to flood victims in Kebbi State, North-west Nigeria.

The development is coming after an estimated 21, 450 people were displaced by the recent torrent disaster, as the state is said to be the worst hit so far this year.

According to NEMA’s latest report on Kebbi’s flood, two communities in Makera Local Government Area (LGA) were completely dislodged from the flood in addition to 150 hectares of farmland, 480 houses destroyed and 4500 persons displaced.

The Director General of NEMA, Sani Sidi, disclosed that a total of 37, 460 hectares of farmland covering about 10 LGAs of the state, along with over 5,000 houses were washed away by the flood.

However, NEMA believed that more analysis may reveal further discovery of affected victims which prompted the agency to deploy a large amount of relief materials involving food items, medical facilities, as well as emergency sheltering equipment.

Receiving the materials, Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu, revealed that the State government had so far spent over 200 million Naira in managing the crisis across the affected areas.

Governor Bagudu noted that the government is looking for a way to manage the lost incurred mostly by the farmers.

He added that the State government had entered into partnership with the Sokoto State government, to see the possibility of improving water management within the two states.

As Kebbi State is set to experience food shortage, the government has prepared to embark on massive food supply for people in the state.