Emergency Management Agency Establishes zonal offices in Kaduna State
The Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (KADSEMA) has established three Zonal Offices to manage disasters across the 23 local government areas of the state.
Usman Mazadu, Executive Secretary of the agency, made this known on Tuesday during a strategic meeting with the Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMC) in Kaduna state.
According to him, the meeting was necessary to present the Zonal Coordinators to the LEMC chairmen to detect, report, and respond to disasters.
He said that the agency’s law has been reviewed, amended and assented to capture the establishment of Zonal offices within the three senatorial zones of Kaduna central, Zaria and Kafanchan.
He said, ” The amended 2024 law is also to strengthen the LEMC’s to be proactive, more resilient in mitigating disasters while making provision for funding.”
Mazdu said that the agency has made provision of N500,000 to each LEMC to carry on activities of disaster management.
He said the local communities were always the first respondents to disasters hence the need to strengthen their resilience.
“As we continue to face various natural and human-induced hazards, it is imperative that we equip our LEMC’s with the necessary tools, knowledge, and systems to effectively anticipate, respond, and mitigate potential disasters.
” We are bringing vice-chairmen of the 23 LGAs, who are also the chairmen of the LEMC as the first structure of the national disaster management framework to present the Zonal Coordinators of their zone, so that communities can own the process.” he said.
In her remarks, Charity Usman, Chairman, Forum of Vice Chairmen, said the role communities played were central to ensuring effective disaster management, adding that without a structured LEMC, progress could not be achieved.
She said the establishment of the zonal offices was an attestation of commitment of the state government to ensuring the effectiveness of disaster management.
Usman called on all LGA chairmen to ensure that drainages in their communities are cleared to avert flooding.
NAN / Foluke Ibitomi
