The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) as part of efforts to ameliorate the suffering of people in an event of an escalation of COVID-19 pandemic has requested for a strategic plan on the provision of food and water supplies for Kogi State.
At a stakeholder meeting in Lokoja on Wednesday, the head, NEMA’s Abuja operation office Mr Bitrus Samuel, said the agency was in the state to verify the capacity of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in an event that people are made to stay indoors to prevent the escalation of COVID-19 pandemic.
Samuel who was represented at the meeting by Mr Reuben Banatunde said “following the activation of the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) on COVID-19 pandemic of NEMA, we are in Kogi State to hold a meeting with the relevant ministries, organisations in the state to come up with a strategic plan for the provision of food and water supplies”
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Earlier, the Executive Secretary, Kogi State Emergency Management Agency Mr Julius Mejiyan who chaired the meeting appealed to NEMA to assist the state with logistics and the supply of food and water whenever the need arises.
He noted that as part of an effort to prevent the outbreak in the state, the state government has constituted a 29- man squadron committee to help tackle Coronavirus to ensure the prevention and or containment of the pandemics in the state.
He promised that the state government would continue to sensitise and educate the people especially those at the grassroots on the dos and don’ts during the hectic period.
The State Secretary, Red Cross Society Mr Danasabe Usman urged the squadron committee set up by the state government to synergise with SEMA for effective operation.
“On our part, we have volunteers that will be able to cover 14 local government areas of the state and we are ready to provide nose masks and hand sanitizers for the people of the state” he assured.
The stakeholders meeting was attended by NEMA, SEMA, representatives of Red Cross Society, Civil Society Organisations, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the media.
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