NEMA solicits NBA support towards amendment of its ACT

For proper management of emergency situations and disasters, the Director General National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Engr Mustapha Y. Maihaja has solicited the cooperation and support of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) towards on-going amendment to the agency’s establishment Act to position it for the challenges of providing succour to citizens in distress.
Addressing members of the NBA at its 2018 Annual Conference in Abuja, Maihaja said amendment to the NEMA Act was desirable to ameliorate some identified gaps in the management of disasters in the country.
He requested the NBA to be “in the vanguard of ensuring that NEMA Act which is currently undergoing reform at the National Assembly is treated expeditiously and in a manner as to ensure that Agency is made to be more robust, more focused, resilient, proactive and better handled. This will enable the Agency confront many challenges it is facing currently.”
The Director General of NEMA also express his desire that “NBA will in due course evolve strategy to actively partner with my Agency to ensure adequate protection of human Rights of the internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), expose human right abuses, if any, any provide free legal service to IDPs when need arises.”
He said the Federal Government through various initiatives has continued to undertake drastic palliative measures aimed at providing necessary succour to victims of disasters in the country. These, according to him were often made possible “through active collaboration with various stakeholders, including the National Human Rights Commission, Nigeria Police, Military, NGOs and INGOs.