To curtail disaster in the South-East zone of Nigeria, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has partnered the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army on emergency and disaster response and management issues.
Mr Thickman Tanimu, the acting Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, said this when he paid a courtesy visit to the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 82 Division, Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, in Enugu on Wednesday.
He said that the visit was at the behest of the NEMA Director-General, Mr Mustapha Habib-Ahmed who, he stated, was desirous of keeping the agency’s age-long relationship with the army.
He said that the visit, which also served as his familiarisation visit to the division, was meant to reawaken the longtime relationship between the army and NEMA in the zone.
Tanimu requested for a focal officer from the division whom the agency could be relating with on any emergency response or disaster management situation in the zone.
The NEMA coordinator also requested for an update on NEMA’s excavator in the care of the army as well as access to water during emergencies.
“This important visit, directed by our director-general, is to reawaken the age-long synergy in emergency coordination and collaboration with the Nigerian Army, especially the 82 Division, Enugu.
“NEMA is here to also strengthen military disaster response units (DRUs) in the South-East zone as well as the security and intelligence gathering and sharing on emergency and disaster issues in the zone,” he said.
Responding, the GOC thanked the NEMA director-general, zonal coordinator and his team for the visit.
He said that the army was always eager and ready to work with NEMA during disaster and emergency situations.
“I am assigning Brig.-Gen. Olugbemi Obasanjo to act as the focal person to NEMA in the zone.
“Obasanjo will also help NEMA with DRU equipment, if required, and for the security of the warehouse,” he said.
The GOC said that the NEMA excavator kept in the care of the army was still in the military barracks, even as he requested that the zonal office designate an official to always inspect it.
“I have also approved that NEMA water tanker be allowed express access to water from the barracks so long as there is water in the reservoir,” he added.
The highlights of the event were presentation of a plaque to the zonal coordinator by the GOC and a group photograph between the principal officers of the division and the NEMA team.
