Recognizing the pivotal role of sensitization and advocacy in disaster prevention and management, the Director-General, Office Of Community Communications, Mrs. Mary Oso-Omotosho in the company of General Manager SEMA, Mr Oludare Asaolu and team, paid a courtesy visit to the Head of Operations, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Ondo and Ekiti States, in Ado Ekiti yesterday.
The visit was to discuss ways to form a synergy and working relationship with NEMA to jointly activate an aggressive sensitization and advocacy on disaster prevention and management across communities in Ekiti State.
In his welcome remarks, the Head of Operations, Dr. Kofoworola Sholeye, described as timely, the visit of the DG and her team at her office would help NEMA and SEMA navigate the grassroots for effective communications noting that accessing people at the grassroots for sensitization has always been a challenge.
Dr. Sholeye who expressed confidence that the DG’s visit would usher in a strong partnership, pledged to leverage the Community Communication Office’s grassroots reach for effective community engagement in tandem with the Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
In her response, Mrs. Oso-Omotosho commended NEMA for its humanitarian endeavors but emphasized the need to embark on aggressive awareness and advocacy to prevent avoidable disasters, thereby reducing the burden on the governor and government for intervention measures.
Also reacting, Ekiti SEMA General Manager, Mr. Oludare Asaolu, underscored the proactive nature of the visit stating that heightened awareness of prevention reduces disasters which also reduces the workload for SEMA and NEMA, and then enables the State Government to focus on broader developmental priorities, given that many disasters stem from human negligence and lack of awareness.
Initiating their collaborative journey, the three agencies resolved to organize an inclusive stakeholders’ engagement, involving key actors in risk communication, and emergency and disaster management within the state.
Others on the courtesy visit team were; SSA Grassroots Communications (North), Hon. Moshood Lawal, Mrs. Laka, a Director in SEMA among others.
