The Deputy Governor of Oyo State and Chairman of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Barrister Abdul Raheem Adebayo Lawal, paid a courtesy call on the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Hajia Zubaida Umar, today at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja. The visit aimed to foster a better working relationship and seek continued support for disaster management in Oyo State.
Barrister Lawal registered the appreciation of the Oyo State government for NEMA’s past assistance and support extended to disaster victims within the state. However, he pointed out a significant gap, noting that the federal humanitarian agency had not reached out to Oyo with the provision of relief materials in the last two years.
The Deputy Governor stressed the need for continued support, highlighting that disaster management is a capital-intensive exercise that no single state can fund alone. He also informed the NEMA DG that all thirty-three local government areas of Oyo State are disaster-prone, and called for closer collaboration between NEMA and the state government to mitigate the various forms of disasters.
In her response, Hajia Zubaida Umar thanked the Deputy Governor for acknowledging the agency’s role. She affirmed that NEMA is determined to increase its activities, focusing not only on bringing succour to disaster victims but also on disaster prevention across the country.
The Director General expressed dismay over the gap between the Oyo State Government and her agency and promised to address the issue promptly.
Stipulations on Relief Material Distribution
Hajia Umar also used the opportunity to reiterate a crucial policy on the distribution of relief materials. She emphatically stated that no relief materials released by NEMA to any person, group, or organization should be distributed without the involvement of the State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMA). According to her, only SEMA officials, together with NEMA’s representatives, are officially responsible for the distribution of relief materials to disaster victims, irrespective of who initially collected the materials.
The visit concluded with the NEMA DG presenting a souvenir to the Oyo State Deputy Governor, symbolizing the strengthened ties between the two agencies.
