By; ALEX UANGBAOJE, Kaduna
Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (KADSEMA) Muhammed Mu’azu Mukaddas and his team, hosted donors who have been supporting the agency to an interactive session on the agency’s efforts at mitigating disasters in the state.
The KADSEMA boss used the opportunity to update the donors on the achievements of the agency in the last one year of his stewardship.
According to him, one of his first achievements in office was the creation of the Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC), in all 23 LGAs in the state, which now serves as mini SEMA in the communities, providing helpful emergency intelligence to the centre.
The agency also set up an interagency collaboration, where it established an Emergency Operation and Coordination Center (EOC/ECC) with memberships from SEMA, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Red Cross, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC), relevant MDAs and CSOs. The committee meeting every Tuesdays and Thursdays to review and coordinate responses is coordinated by SEMA.
Under Mu’azu, a tactical team, comprising SEMA, NEMA, Fire Service, Red Cross, Security agencies, the LEMCs and Divers, was set up. The team is responsible for search, rescue and evacuation actions and it is coordinated by the State Fire Service.
The multi-agency coordination composition was drawn from senior directors of relevant MDAs and it handles strategic thinking and decision making and ES SEMA to lead when needed.
The essence of the interagency collaboration is to have a well coordinated response and intervention in times of emergencies in the state.
Mu’azu, also disclosed that he personally facilitated a capacity development training for 964 staff of both SEMA, State MDAs, Kashim Ibrahim Fellowships (KIFs), Department of State Services (DSS) and the LEMCs on Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) in the year under review.
Other coordination in emergency trainings the agency carried out include; Supply and logistics in emergency, Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT) training for finance staff and First Aid for first responders.
Another area KADSEMA, made an impact was review of the Risk Analysis Map and updated Multi-Sectoral Contingency Plan, as the agency now focuses more on prevention and mitigation actions rather than response.
The agency on March 28, 2022, led search, rescue and evacuation operation of a National disaster of the post Abuja– Kaduna train attack when nine passengers were killed; 26 severely injured; 68 abducted; And a host of other responses were carried out and equally signed a communique with security agencies on info sharing.
At different times and in different occasions, KADSEMA provided relief support to myriads of affected victims and gave livelihood support to numerous people in the state.
On collaborations, the ES, said “since my assumption in November 2021, KADSEMA has established new collaborative relationships with; United Nations Children Funds (UNICEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Health Organization (WHO), Victims Support Fund (VSF), Plan International, Care Nigeria and Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA). The agency also revived and regained trust from old relationships with Christian Aid and Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI)”.
Highlighting some of the challenges being faced by the agency, the ES, enumerated; untimely release of funds, attitudinal change on the part of the community to be proactive to risk management, Government’s centralization policy on expendable properties, Vehicle maintenance, fueling, stationery and inadequate operational vehicles as some of the areas the agency need urgent interventions.
Though there were no serious flood in the State in 2022, however, the KADSEMA Boss, noted that the support the state got from UNICEF and their partners under the Shock Response Social Protection Programme (SRSP) project saved a lot of the beneficiaries of the N35,000 cash transfer to mitigate the effects of flash flood in some parts of the state.
Mu’azu, appreciated the donors who were there for the agency in one way or the other for their continued support and trust in KADSEMA.
The donors in attendance are; European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), led by their Regional Disaster Preparedness/DRR Expert, Jocelyn Lance, COOPI, led by Head of Nigeria Office, Mathew Alpha Jabari, UNICEF Nigeria, led by the Emergency Manager, Tina Valderrama, Christian Aid, led by the Head of Programmes, Arokoyo Victor and the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC), among others.
At the end of the meeting, the donors expressed satisfaction over the way the agency is being handled and how disasters are managed in the state. They however pledged to continue to support, based on the identified needs in the state as far as disaster management is concerned.
