Alhaji Musa Ilallah , the North West Zonal Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA), has advised state governments in the zone to evacuate communities in flood-prone areas .
The coordinator gave the advice on Thursday in Sokoto while opening a one-day training workshop for members of the NYSC/ Emergency Management Vanguard (EMV) organised by the agency.
Ilallah said the advice had become necessary to reduce the effect of flood disasters rather than “taking fire brigade actions during emergencies”.
He urged all disaster managers in the country to provide effective mechanisms that would aid stakeholders at all levels in mitigating and responding to the anticipated 2013 floods.
“There is a need for all us as stakeholders in disaster management to work together to build a culture of preparedness, prevention, response and community resilience to disasters in Nigeria in the minds of Nigerians.
“This is why NEMA organised this forum to sensitise members of the public through the EMV to engineer a proactive approach to disasters as part of our disaster risk reduction strategy,’’ he said.
He called for door-to-door advocacy and awareness campaigns to warn people ahead of the flood disaster.
(NAN)
