Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has received Disaster Risk Reduction specialised equipment for search and rescue of persons in distress, donated by the Japanese Government.
Mrs Nneka Anibeze, the Special Assistant on Media to Farouq said this in a statement on Monday in Abuja
According to her, the equipment was presented at the presentation of the 2020 Annual Report of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
The minister said that the donated equipment included nine units of Rescue vehicles with rescue equipment and four units of mobile water purifier systems with vehicles.
She thanked the Government and the people of Japan for the donation and urged NEMA to make judicious use of the equipment to effectively serve humanity.
Farouq congratulated the Director-General of NEMA, Alhaji Muhammadu Muhammed for a successful one year in office as well as the timely report.
According to Farouq this is in line with the extant laws that require NEMA to publicly present their Annual Report in the first quarter of every succeeding year.
“I will like to acknowledge and commend NEMA for having the 2020 Annual Report ready on time which serves as a clear commitment of the leadership to the principles of transparency and accountability.
“Interestingly, the Director-General/CEO has just completed a full year in office.
“The presentation of this report today is by no means a coincidence but apparently showcases his dedication and optimal service in the Agency so far.
“And as we all align our duties to support President Muhammadu Buhari in alleviating the plight of the poor, I admonish you to reflect on the content of the report to exceed the successes recorded.
“We are all aware of the effects of many disasters faced last year, including those related to insurgency, floods, banditry, communal disturbances, windstorms and ENDSARS violence, but most especially that of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Farouq said.
Mr Shinozawa Takayuki, the Chargé d’ Affaires of the Embassy of Japan in Nigeria, who represented the Japanese Government said that the decision to strengthen disaster risk reduction worldwide was taken at the 3rd UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Japan in March 2015.
“On that occasion, the Government of Japan pledged four billion dollars financial cooperation and training of 40,000 government officials and local leaders around the world in four years.
“Hence, this project we are commissioning today, which is worth a total 500 million Japan Yen meant to support Nigeria’s efforts to equip NEMA and other emergency operation centres,” Takayuki said.
Speaking, the NEMA boss, who thanked the government of Japan for the donation said, that no fewer than 2,353,647 people were affected by the flood in the year 2020.
According to him, in the same year, the Agency gave humanitarian support in 148 disaster incidents across the country in the same year.
“These are in addition to the monthly distribution of relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons living in camps in Borno and Adamawa.
“Equally today, NEMA is inducting comprehensive Disaster Risk Reduction equipment for search and rescue across the federation. The equipment was donated by the Japanese Government.
“Staff of NEMA have been trained on the usage of these specialised vehicles by experts from Toyota Tsusho Corporation of Japan.
“The mobile water purifiers systems were duly deployed during the 2018 and 2019 flood disaster for provision of drinking water to Internally Displaced Persons,” Muhammed said.
The Senate Committee Chairman on Special Duties, Sen. Yusuf A. Yusuf, the Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, Rep. Abdul Olawuyi as well as the Director of Humanitarian Affairs in the Ministry, Alhaji Ali Grema, other Directors of the Ministry, NEMA and other dignitaries were in attendance.