Rescue operations have continued at the scene of the explosion that rocked the Old Bodija area of Ibadan where scores of people were injured and many houses destroyed.
Our correspondent who is presently at the scene of the incident reports that security operatives, officers of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA including men of the Red Cross Society are on the ground to manage the situation.
The gates which led to the street where the incident occurred have been cordoned off for rescue operations.
As at the time of filling this report, thousands of sympathizers have besieged the scene of the incident.
In an interview, one of the residents, Bernard Akpan described the incident as unfortunate.
Governor Seyi Makinde had earlier paid an on-the-spot assessment of the area and promised that the governorate would foot the bills of the injured persons.
Ekiti State Government has taken delivery of relief materials worth millions of naira from the Federal Government for distribution to victims of floods, rainstorms and other natural disasters in the state.
Some of the items received are building materials and foodstuff which includes one hundred metric tons of maize, about eighty-nine metric tons of sorghum and ninety-eight metric tons of garri, while other food items were rice, beans, salt and vegetable oil.
Other items were men, women and children’s wear, mosquito nets, and mats, among others.
While taking delivery of the materials in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief Monisade Afuye appreciated the Federal Government and the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA for the gesture at this critical time the flood and rainstorms had wreaked havoc in some parts of the country.
Chief Afuye, who explained that some farmlands had been destroyed by flood in Ekiti, said the government would do everything possible to bring succour to the victims by ameliorating the suffering of the people, especially the affected farmers.
“The Deputy Governor said that government is aware of devastating effects of flood ravaging some parts of Nigeria”
She said, “many farmlands have been taken over by flood in the state, expressing believe that the relief materials received with the one provided by the Ekiti State Government would go a long way in ameliorating the suffering of the victims of disasters in the state.”
Chief Afuye, however, observed that parts of the materials were yet to be taken to the state and promised that when they were all received, they would be distributed to the beneficiaries.
Earlier, the Director General, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Alhaji Mustapha Ahmed explained that the gesture was part of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration commitment to make life meaningful to the people, especially victims of natural disasters.
Alhaji Ahmed said that President Buhari had already released twelve thousand metric tons of grains to be distributed to thirty-six states in the country and urged state governments to ensure the smooth distribution of the items.
Oriola Afolabi
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The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has distributed relief materials to victims of a communal clash between farmers of Supare Akoko and Oka Akoko in Akoko South-East of Ondo State.
Radio Nigeria correspondent reports some of the items distributed to include rice, beans, roofing sheets, bags of cement, cooking oil, tin tomatoes, nails and garri.
The communal clash happened in November 2021 between both communities.
The Head of Operation Office of NEMA in charge of Ekiti, Osun and Ondo States, Mr Kadiri Olarewaju said the palliative was to give succour and help them start a new living.
Also, the secretary, Ondo State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Mr Femi Obideyi said the immediate and remote causes of the disaster had been addressed by the state government and the two communities had embraced peace.
He noted that the people of the state were known to be peace-loving, and urged residents to always prevent man-made disasters to allow the government to focus on its development programmes.
One of the beneficiaries, Pa Ibrahimoh Adamu, appreciated the gesture of the government at all levels for the level of support shown towards the affected victims.
Also speaking, another beneficiary, Mr Jaime Benson thanked the state and the federal government for the kind gesture and prayed for renewed strength to lead the nation.
Motorists have been urged to obey all traffic rules and avoid speeding during the Yuletide.
The Head, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, for Ekiti, Ondo and Osun State, Mr. Olusegun Afolayan made the call during the flag-off of “Operation Eagle Eye” in Oshogbo.
Our Correspondent, Funmi Adekoya completes the report.
Over twenty thousand motor part dealers in Ibadan have been rendered jobless due to a fire disaster that occurred at the market yesterday night.
The spare parts market at Agodi Gate is dominantly noted for all kinds of motor parts.
Vehicle parts that are sold in the market ranged from tyres, and lorry to car parts
During Radio Nigeria’s visit to the market, the fire which according to findings occurred yesterday midnight could not be put out by Oyo State fire fighters as the inner parts of the markets were inaccessible.
Apart from smokes that pervaded the entire atmosphere, there were flames of fire in some parts dominated by flammable motor parts.
Tyers, engines, bolts and nuts and other parts that were well arranged in each shop were seen completely burnt to ashes.
Some of the affected traders who could not hide their emotion appealed to government to come to their aid saying they had become indebted as most their businesses were run on loan.
In an interview, the President, Ibadan Motor Parts Dealers Association, Mr Olanrewaju Ishola said he left the market at 10 pm yesterday and was shocked to receive an emergency calls an hour later that fire disaster had occurred as a result of surge from electricity supply.
Mr Ishola explained that over one thousand shops affected by the fire had left over twenty thousand traders in the market with no means of economic survival.
Mr ishola pointed out three roads were accessible to the market with one of the roads under repair, noting that two traders had died as a result of shock
Assistant Zonal Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Southwest, Mr Olanrewaju Kazeem observed that the huge damaged caused by the fire was due to lack of accessible road and absence of fire fighting vehicle at the market.
Mr kazeem while lamenting lack of insurance policy by the traders, said record of losses had been taken for onward transmission to the federal government for necessary intervention.
Representative of the Oyo State Emergency Management Agency also said the state government would be informed on the damaged while recommendations would also be given for urgent assistant.
As at the time of filing this report, fire fighters were stilling making efforts to put out the fire while members of Oyo State Security Network, Amotekun were on ground to ensure that motor parts spared by the fire were protected.
The Federal Government is to construct five hundred housing units to accommodate persons affected by flood in Ogun State.
The Director, Relief and Rehabilitation, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Mr Kayode Fagbemi made this known during a visit to the proposed site of the project in Abeokuta.
Olusegun Folarin who was on the entourage has the details.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouq has directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to assess the damage of a fire incident that occurred at Tipper Garage Market on 3rd Avenue in Gwarimpa Abuja for immediate intervention.
In a statement by her Special Assistant Media, Nneka Anibeze, the Minister described the incident as tragic and sympathised with the traders especially those who lost their lives in the inferno.
She also condoles with families and relatives of the dead and prays God to grant them eternal rest.
According to eyewitnesses, a faulty electrical spark in one of the locked-up shops was the cause of the inferno.
Reports say the fire which started at midnight lasted over two hours before it was put out by the men of the FCT Fire Service.
The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has called for more awareness and consciousness of the existence of fire which could lead to loss of lives and properties.
The Director-General of NEMA, Retired Air Vice Marshall Mohammed Mohammed made the at a 1-day stakeholders meeting held in Osogbo on the Fire Sensitisation and Awareness Campaign.
Our Correspondent Funmi Adekoya completes the report.
Victims of the 2020 floods in parts of Delta State have commended the Federal Government for providing relief items to cushion the effects of the natural disaster.
They made this known in Asaba during the inauguration of the distribution process to sixteen affected local government areas by National Emergency Management Agency NEMA in partnership with Delta State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA.
Community representative from Oshimili South Mrs. Ifeoma Chuckwu and Cyprain Okoye, observed that though the relief items by NEMA did not measure up with their loss, it would provide assistance to recover from devastation of the 2020 floods.
The Director General of NEMA, Air vice-Marshal Mohammadu, in a message, said due to the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic the agency in collaboration with Delta State Emergency Management Agency SEMA, had embarked on the direct distribution of the items to communities in the sixteen local government areas.
The Air vice-Marshal Mohammadu, who was represented by the Head, Edo Office of NEMA Mr. Dahiru Yusuf, also noted the agency was working with community representatives to ensure the relief materials gets to the target group.
Delta State Commissioner Bureau for Special Duties Omamofe Pirah, and the Director of the State Emergency Management Agency Karo Ovemeso, commended the Federal Government for the intervention and pledged to strengthen partnership between the state and federal emergency management agencies.
Items distributed to the communities included food and non-food items such as building materials, bags of rice, matrasses among others.
The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has alerted the people of Delta State to take urgent steps to mitigate the effects of possible flooding in eighteen local government areas of the state, listed among the one hundred and two Highly Probable Flood Risk Areas in twenty-eight states of the federation.
The Director General of NEMA, Muhammadu Muhammed, stated this in Asaba, during a flood advocacy visit to Delta State Government, where he categorized two hundred and seventy five LGA’s in thirty six states of the federation and the FCT as Moderately Probable Flood Risk Zones. The others are classified as Low Risk Flood Areas
The DG NEMA Muhammadu Muhammed listed the eighteen Highly Probable Flood Prone Areas to include: Ethiope West, Oshimili South, Oshimili North and Aniocha South.
Mr. Muhammed represented by a Deputy Director in NEMA Fatima Hassan, itemized others in the category including Warri North, Warri South, Ndokwa East and Anioch North. The others are Warri South-West, Ika South, Ika North East and Ndokwa West.
The other flood prone areas are: Ughelli North, Ughelli South, Patani and Burutu. While, Sapele and Ethiope East completes the list.
The DG NEMA therefor urged the State Government to direct response agencies and local government authorities to take measures towards mitigating the effect of imminent flooding in the targeted communities.
Responding, the Secretary to Delta State Government Chiedu Ebie, corrected that NEMA omitted three flood prone local government areas from the list of Highly Probable Flood Risk zones, noting the State Emergency Management Agency has highlighted one of them among regions currently experiencing flooding in the state.
Mr. Ebie observed the state government would no longer run IDP camps due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of capacity for wide scale testing, stressing the focus would be on massive advocacy and sensitization especially in the areas predict ted to experience flooding.
Others at the advocacy visit include the Director-General of the State Emergency Management Agency SEMA, Mr Karo Ovemeso and executives of the Edo Zonal Office of NEMA.
In an effort to avoid flood-related disasters in flash points areas in Oyo State, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA has taken its sensitization campaign to four communities in Lagelu and Egbeda local governments.
The campaign was borne out of the prediction of the Nigeria Meterological Agency, NIMET of heavy rainfalls in September and October this year.
Our correspondent, Mosope Kehinde, who was on the sensitization team, reports that the campaign was in collaboration with the state emergency management agency, National Orientation Agency, Red Cross, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps and other stakeholders.
Five members of a family in Kaura community, near Gwagwalada in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, have died in last weekend flood that ravaged the area.
This was made known during an assessment tour of communities affected by the flood, by a combined team of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and the FCT Emergency Management Agency.
Some of the houses damaged by the flood
The downpour over the weekend which lasted for many hours, beginning by 3 am on Saturday and subsiding around 11 am, pulled down houses, submerged some, destroyed other property as well as displaced people.
Those affected are settlers on the riverbank in Gwagwalada, the first port of call of the response team where two of the victims, Joyce Okoroafor and Geoffrey Okere narrated their experience while calling for relief.
The victims were seen spreading their affected households to dry while the damaged property littered the areas.
Some of the household goods affected by the flood
From the looks on their faces, one could feel their plight as people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
According to some of them, they have stayed in the area for about 20 years without witnessing such flood.
At Kaura Community, near Giri Junction, few kilometres away from Gwagwalada, the devastation by the flood was equally massive.
According to the residents, portions of the Zuba-Gwagwalada expressway around the area was submerged.
Road dividers were seen washed away, while electricity poles and buildings were destroyed.
This is where a community leader, Bako Nagzhaga said the flood killed five people.
His position was confirmed by the Deputy Director, Forecasting, Response and Mitigation, FCT Emergency Management Agency, Mrs. Florence Wenegieme.
Mrs Wenegieme said a mother and her four children died in the flood and so far, only the body of a child was found but efforts were on to recover the remaining bodies.
The Director, Planning, Research and Forecasting, National Emergency Management Agency, Mr Kayode Fagbemi renewed the call for those living in flood-prone areas to relocate to safer grounds.
Mr. Fagbemi assured the people of relief materials to cushion the effects of the flood disaster.
It was also discovered that the affected areas lacked proper drainage system and the available few were blocked.
This is one campaign NEMA has sustained, appealing to the people to clear the drainages and avoid building structures on waterways for free flow of water.
Stakeholders in disaster risk management and control want government at all levels and relevant agencies to synergize and prioritise community based rescue efforts towards preventing flood and other disasters.
They made the call in Ibadan at an interactive meeting organized by the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA in collaboration with Oyo State Emergency Management Agency.
Participants, who were drawn from civil society organizations,the Nigerian Police, Red Cross, National Orientation Agency, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and market leaders believed that there will be no meaningful success on disaster control if stakeholders are not sincere.
In a presentation on the Role of Media in Disaster Management, a media consultant, Mr Lawrence Olisa said there was the need for journalists to be thorough in disaster reportage to avoid misinformation which can ignite crisis among the people.
Mr Olisa also appealed to disaster managers to endeavour to train media practitioners and partner them on their programmes and policies to ensure members of the public are adequately informed.
Earlier in an address, Secretary of the Oyo State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Mr Lukman Arasi commended NEMA for its contributions in rehabilitating shops destroyed to inferno at Akesan Market, Oyo town, having received one thousand each of roofing sheet and bags of cement.
NEMA Zonal Director Southwest, Mr Slaku Bijimi, who described emergency management as everybody’s business, restated commitment to partnering major stakeholder in the state at securing lives and property.
Mr Bijimi said the agency would also be embarking on capacity building and advocacy visit to local government areas to sensitize members of the public on the danger of flood.
The aim of the meeting was to brainstorm and train stakeholders on disaster management circle from preparedness to recovery stage as well as synergize, to mobilize resources when disasters occur.
The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has expressed preparedness to mitigate the impact of floods this year.
The Director-General of the Agency, Retired Air Vice Marshal Muhammadu Muhammad gave the indication at a news conference in Abuja.
Rainfall predictions for this year according to relevant authorities including the Nigeria Meteorological and Hydrological Services Agencies indicate that 102 local government areas in 28 states of the federation fall within highly probable flood risk areas.
275 local government areas in all the states of the federation and the FCT are predicted to be moderately flooded while the remaining 397 local government areas are predicted to experience low floods.
The Predictions are expected to have impact of critical sectors such as agriculture, water resources, transportation, health and other infrastructure.
More worrisome is the fact that, the nation will have to grapple with the floods amidst the COVID-19 pandemic which is also taking a toll on the country and elsewhere.
It is against this impending disaster that the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Retired Air Vice Marshal Muhammadu Muhammad said the agency was taking proactive measures to mitigate the impact of this year’s floods.
Air Vice Marshal Muhammad also said relief materials were being stock piled to provide succor to victims of the impending floods.
The Director General of NEMA appealed to all stakeholders including Governors, local authorities and those living in flood prone areas to cooperate with the agency by replicating measures at the state and local levels as well as relocating to safer grounds, to reduce the impact of the impending disaster.
The National Emergency Management Agency has expressed preparedness to mitigate impact of floods this year.
The Director General of the Agency, Retired Air Vice Marshal Muhammadu Muhammad gave the indication at a news conference in Abuja.
Rainfall predictions for this year according to relevant authorities including the Nigeria Meteorological and Hydrological Services Agencies indicate that 102 local government areas in 28 states of the federation fall within highly probable flood risk areas.
275 local government areas in all the states of the federation and the FCT are predicted to be moderately flooded while the remaining 397 local government areas are predicted to experience low floods.
The predictions are expected to have impact of critical sectors such as agriculture, water resources, transportation, health and other infrastructure.
More worrisome is the fact that, the nation will have to grapple with the floods amidst the COVID-19 pandemic which is taken a toll on the country and other countries across the globe.
It is against this impending disaster that the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Retired Air Vice Marshal, Muhammadu Muhammad said the agency was taking proactive measures to mitigate the impact of this year’s floods.
Air Vice Marshal Muhammad also said relief materials were being stock piled to provide succour to victims of the impending floods.
The Director General of NEMA appealed to all stakeholders including Governors, local authorities and those living in flood prone areas to cooperate with the agency by replicating measures at the state and local levels and relocating them to safer grounds, to reduce the impact of the impending disaster.
Traders affected by fire disaster at Ogbeogonogo market in Asaba, Delta State have commended the Federal Government and Delta State Government for coming to their aid, following an inferno that ravished the market on May 26, this year.
They made this known during a presentation of relief assistance to over four hundred merchants affected by fire disaster by the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, in Collaboration with Delta State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA.
Oghenero Eghweree reports that Delta State Government also provided a token to assist those affected by the fire disaster.
National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA has pledged Federal Government’s effort to assist victims of yesterday’s fire outbreak that razed about nineteen shops and a building at Lebanon Street, Dugbe, Ibadan.
Southwest Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Mr Slaku Bijimi made the pledge while assessing situations at the scene of the fire incident in company of secretary of the State Emergency Management Authority, SEMA, Mr Lukman Arasi.
The NEMA boss said a comprehensive report and recommendations on the outbreak will be forwarded to the federal government through the national headquarters of the agency, with a view to assisting the victims.
Mr Bijimi appealed to shop owners to insure both their shops and goods in them to reduce the adverse effects of possible loss.
Also speaking, Secretary, Oyo State Emergency Management Agency, Mr Lukman Arasi who sympathised with the victims, said the state government would take appropriate steps to assist victims.
While appealing to wealthy individuals to come to the aide of the victims, Mr Arasi called on retailers to take more precautionary measures at averting recurrence of such disaster.
The National Emergency Management
Agency, NEMA, in collaboration with Delta State Emergency Management Agency,
SEMA, has commenced the distribution of relief assistance to victims of the
2019 flood disaster in parts of Delta State.
Delta State Commissioner, Bureau for
Special Duties, Mr. Omamofe Pirah, at the occasion in Asaba, noted among the
first batch of beneficiaries of the exercise were communities in Oshimili North
and Oshimili South Local Government Areas, while victims from other affected
locations would be captured in subsequent batches.
Mr. Pirah also urged residents of
the state to clear their drainages in preparation for the coming rainy season
and its attendant challenges in the state.
Also, the Head, Edo Operations office
of NEMA, Mr. Dahiru Yusuf, in a remark observed that the delay in the
distribution exercise was due to the difficulties in accessing some of the
communities affected by the flood disaster.
Mr. Yusuf commended the management of Delta State Emergency Management Agency for their role in saving lives and properties during the difficult period for the victims and expressed the readiness of NEMA to providing relief materials to alleviate their sufferings.
Meanwhile, some of the beneficiaries
who spoke to Radio Nigeria after receiving the relief assistance which included
food items, blankets and mattresses lauded the federal and state governments
for coming to their aid.
