NSCDC responded to 162 disaster emergency calls in 11 months in Edo – Commandant

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Edo Command, says it responded to no fewer than 162 disaster emergency calls in the last 11 months.

The Commandant of the corps in the state, Mr George Edem, made the disclosure in his opening remarks at an event commemorating the 2021 World Civil Defence Day, organised by the command, on Monday in Benin.

Edem said that the emergencies responded to included both natural and man-made disasters.

He noted that responding to emergencies as well as disaster management were part of the mandates of NSCDC, being a member of International Civil Defence Organisation (ICDO).

He, therefore, urged the personnel of the command to be more responsive to disaster management, especially in this era of COVID-19.

The commandant also stressed that responding to disaster management in the era of COVID-19 could not be over- emphasized, especially given the damage which the virus had done to humanity.

Edem said the theme for this year’s Day: “Strong Civil Protection to Preserve National Economy” was apt, in view of the global economic downturn, occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He, therefore, urged the command’s personnel not to relent in discharging their responsibilities and be more responsive at all times.

Edem reaffirmed the command’s commitment to rapidly responding to any form of emergencies, whether natural or man-made.

In his lecture at the event, Mr Emmanuel Ojile, an Assistant Commandant in charge of Arms Squad in the command, said since that the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, the virus had spread rapidly across the world.

Ojile, quoting World Health Organisation (WHO), said that the virus had spread to more than 200 countries around the world.

He noted that several strict measures implemented by these countries, including Nigeria, had caused major setback and disruption to sectors of national economy at all levels.

Ojile, therefore, urged the corps to redouble its efforts in order to overcome the challenges.

According to him, it is also important to rethink the national strategies by taking into cognisance exceptional situations from the perspective of civil protection for resilient communities.