NEMA
Senate to investigate
NEMA
Senate to investigate NEMA over ‘selective’ disaster
response
The Senate has directed its Committees on Special Duties,
Ecology and Climate Change and Environment to investigate the
effectiveness of the National Emergency Management Agency over
disaster response in 2019.
This was even as the chamber directed the NEMA to immediately
implement a response programme for the flood disaster that affected
various communities in Demsa, Numa, Guyuk and Lamurde Local
Governments of Adamawa State.
These were resolutions reached on Tuesday sequel to the
consideration of a motion sponsored by Senator Binos Yaroe (APC,
Adamawa South).
According to Yaroe, NEMA was established by Act 50 of the 1999
constitution as amended for the purpose of managing disasters in
Nigeria.
The lawmaker who lamented a major flooding which occurred in
October 2019 as a result of release of excess water by the
authorities of Lagbo dam in Cameroon, accused NEMA of being
selective in its disaster response interventions.
“NEMA performed a disaster response action by distributing
relief materials to communities in Furore, Yola South, Yola North
and Girei Local Governments of Adamawa State affected by the
floods.
“This intervention by NEMA was not extended to other local
governments in Adamawa State along the River Benue valley equally
affected by the flood disaster.
“Although the attention of the Director-General of NEMA was
drawn to the need to provide relief materials to communities of the
four local governments in Adamawa State severely affected by the
October floods, nothing has been done; and NEMA would appear to be
selective in its disaster response interventions,” Yaroe said.
Meanwhile, the Senate on Tuesday considered a Bill for an Act to
amend the National Council on Public Procurement and Bureau of
Public Procurement Act No. 14 of 2007.
The bill which was sponsored by Senator Abdullahi Sankara is
among the three bills up for amendment of the Public Procurement
Act by the National Assembly.
According to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, an amendment to
the Public Procurement Act would ensure a successful implementation
of the 2020 budget when passed into law by the National
Assembly.
The Public Procurement bill sponsored by Senator Sankara was
referred to the Senate Committee on Public Procurement for further
legislative work.