By Bisola Adeyemo
The FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has urged Abuja residents to stay alert to the flood predictions issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA).
Director-General of the agency, Alhaji Abbas Idriss, gave the advice at the 2021 Annual Flood Review and Preparedness Meeting with 150 Divers, Community Vanguard, Local Emergency Committees and Town Criers, on Friday, in Abuja, the news agency of Nigeria report
In his explanations, Idriss stated that the predictions issued by the two agencies have implications on various sectors of the economy, be it agriculture, transportation, water resources, communication, energy, other critical sectors and disaster management.
His word “ This calls for greater preparedness by all. One of the key objectives of this meeting is to strongly draw the attention of all members of communities to take seriously the 2021 flood predictions for the FCT,” he said.
”The effectiveness of this approach justifies our invitation of different channels of communication like town criers at the community level, and electronic media, to carry out flood sensitisation and awareness campaign, especially in remote communities.
”It is equally important to state here that at the Area Council level, Local Emergency Management Committees are saddled with the responsibility of implementing Disaster Risk Reduction programmes – including Flood Prevention, Mitigation and Response at the grassroots.
”Apart from other forms of emergencies which they are also expected to tackle, hence their strategic position in the National Emergency Management Frame work.”
Earlier, Mrs Florence Wenegieme, the Acting Director, Forecasting, Rescue and Mitigation, FEMA, said the meeting was part of efforts of the agency to prevent FCT residents from flood and other disasters.
”This is a very important programme that will help us to make sure that the residents of FCT leaves safely and happy,” she said.
While responding on behalf of the local divers, Malam Halidu Abdulkadir, from Gwagwalada Area Council, who appreciated the effort of the agency in building their capacity, stressed the need of FEMA to equip them with the necessary tools to discharge their responsibilities effectively.
