NEMA Honours Kaduna Traditional Rulers for Disaster Work

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has recognised traditional rulers in Kaduna North and Chikun Local Government Areas for their role in helping the agency carry its disaster prevention and risk reduction work to communities.

 

The awards were presented on Thursday by Halima Suleiman, Head of Operations at NEMA's Kaduna Operations Office, during courtesy visits to the traditional rulers. The visits formed part of the agency's activities to mark Customer Service Week.

 

Suleiman said the visits were meant to show appreciation to community leaders for what they had contributed to disaster management. Their collaboration, she said, had helped the agency spread awareness and prevention messages among residents.

 

"I feel a sense of satisfaction because we have visited people we have served and collaborated with to ensure our messages reach the grassroots," she said.

 

She noted that the community leaders had, in turn, shown appreciation for the agency's work and acknowledged their past collaborations with NEMA.

 

Suleiman stressed that the agency could not reach communities effectively without the involvement of traditional institutions and other local stakeholders.

 

"NEMA cannot do it alone. We provide services to the people, and we cannot reach the grassroots without the involvement of community leaders," she said.

 

She described traditional rulers as critical stakeholders whose cooperation is essential to effective disaster management, adding that recognising and motivating them would encourage them to sustain their support for disaster prevention and mitigation.

 

Responding, the District Head of Tudun Wada, Tahir Mahmoud, thanked NEMA for acknowledging the contributions of traditional institutions to disaster management. He pledged to keep working with the agency to promote disaster awareness and preparedness in his community.

 

Dr Ishaku Yari, traditional ruler of Gbagyi in Chikun Local Government, also thanked the agency for recognising the efforts of community leaders. He promised continued support for NEMA's awareness campaigns and disaster prevention activities.