NEMA Advocates Installation of Hi-tech Speed Monitoring Gadgets

0 0
Spread the love
Read Time:3 Minute, 56 Second

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has called for the deployment of high-tech speed monitoring gadgets on Nigerian highways, expressing fears that road traffic accidents  might become the fifth most frequent cause of death worldwide.

The NEMA Director-General, Alhaji Muhammed Sani-Sidi, made the call at a workshop on basic emergency response management for members of major transport unions, held at the Red Cross Secretariat Hall in Benin City, Edo State.

Sani-Sidi said though the federal government was concerned about how to curb the  rapidly increasing impact of disasters in the country, among the list is  “human-induced hazards including and in this case, road traffic incidents.’’

Sani-sidi was represented by Mr. Benjamin Oghenah, NEMA South-south zonal coordinator

The DG said the incidents of road accidents was on the increase, quoting the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) statistics as saying “about 3,500 traffic accident deaths occur daily, nearly the same as those of tuberculosis deaths and higher than the number of malaria deaths.

“Road traffic accidents is recognised as the 10th most frequent cause of death overall. If we don’t take action, injuries from road traffic accidents will be the fifth most frequent cause of death in the world by 2030.’’

Sani-Sidi, however, said: “Half of these accidents can be avoided if we succeed in revising the global trend and reduce the number of annual traffic deaths immediately.’’
The DG was quick to say that road safety management in Nigeria was faced with multiple challenges which range from road infrastructure, law enforcement and institutional capacity.      

In his speech, the Edo State FRSC Sector Commander, Oluwasusi Familoni, while corroborating Sani-Sidi’s observations, implored all road users to abide at all times, with road traffic laws for their safety on the roads.

Familoni, who acknowledged reckless driving and misuse of sirens by some government officials, attributed the lack of political will on the part FRSC to apprehend such offenders.

Although he said there were certain categories of government personnel permitted to use the siren, the FRSC commander, however, urged Nigerians to be safety conscious at all times and to take advantage of FRSC free-toll numbers of either 112 or 122 on emergency situations.

Some of the stakeholders who participated in the workshop included representatives of major transport companies, FRSC, Edo State Traffic Management Agency, Red Cross and members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) safety club while the officials of the NEMA rescue unit shared some rescue strategies with the participants.

Meanwhile, NEMA said it has delivered 540 metric tonnes of  assorted relief  items approved by the federal government  to Nigerian refugees in the Republic of Niger who are taking shelter in  different locations in the Diffa region.

The refugees fled to the country as a result of attacks by Boko  Haram’s insurgency  in  Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.

A statement issued by a Senior Information Officer with NEMA,  Mr. Sani Datti, said the items which included foods and non foods were meant to provide succour to Nigerian refugees, were handed over to the Governor of Diffa Region for  onward distribution to beneficiaries.

The statement said the DG of NEMA,  Sani-Sidi,  in accompany  with the Nigerian Ambassador to Republic Niger, Alhaji Aliyu Sokoto, Director General National Orientation Agency NOA), Mike Omeri,  Secretary General Nigerian Red Cross, Bello Dharam, handed over the items through   the Nigerian ambassador to Diffa Governor, Yakouba Saumana Gao.

Speaking during the presentation of the items, the Nigerian envoy, Sokoto, said as a result of unprecedented activities of Boko Haram in the North-eastern  Nigeria, many Nigerian citizens from Borno and Yobe States especially those living close to the Nigeria-Niger border had crossed into Diffa region of Republic of Niger to seek for safety and protection of their dignity.

The ambassador said the government  of Niger and its  people  had received them even at the detriment of their personal convenience and risk of the depleting their means of livelihood.

The NEMA DG said the Nigerian government was responding to the humanitarian crisis while at the same time working assiduously to end terrorism.

He said the president had directed NEMA to provide humanitarian relief to Nigerian refugees.

According to him, NEMA will continue to liaise with government of the Republic of Niger to ensure that all Nigerian refugees are living in better condition.

He thanked the Republic of Niger on behalf of the federal government for hosting and providing them with protection.

Happy
Happy
0 %
Sad
Sad
0 %
Excited
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
Angry
0 %
Surprise
Surprise
0 %

Facebook Comments

Previous post NIGERIA: Lagos Protests FG’s Ban on Advertisements on Federal Roads
Next post NIGERIA: Six Years After, FG Renews Chevron’s Licence for 20 Years

Average Rating

5 Star
0%
4 Star
0%
3 Star
0%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.