From Hir Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
As the world observes the 2023 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Executive Secretary, Benue State Emergency Management Agency, (BSEMA), Sir James Iorpuu, has called for more attention and concerns on the plight of displaced persons in the state.
In the same vein, the the Executive Director of Elim Christian Vocational Training Centre, (CVTC), Oju, Benue State, Mr Emmanuel Egbodo, urged governments and all partners to invest and equip vulnerable communities, households and groups with the necessary resources and knowledge to prepare for and enable them recover from disasters.
Iorpuu and Egbodo made the calls on Friday, at an event organized by SEMA in collaboration with Elim Foundation to commemorate the 2023 International Day For Disaster Risk Reduction, in Makurdi, the Benue state capital.
The SEMA boss said the occasion of the Disaster Risk Reduction day has offered the state an opportunity to celebrate some of the advancements made by the government of Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia whose vision, it is to reduce the impact of disaster, loss of lives and livelihoods in Benue state.
Iorpuu said the state government is partnering Elim Foundation to create awareness and sensitize the people of the brutal inequality of disaster and call for efforts towards fighting inequality for the preservation of the future of the people, especially the children.
While appreciating the foundation for coming up with the idea, the SEMA boss lamented that while the state is trying to handle the killings of Benue residents, it is also battling with the impending flood disaster.
“The disaster of flooding is already with us. While we were trying to escape from herders attack on our people, flood is coming again. This is a yearly occurrence but the one that is coming now is going to be more devastating on our people.
“So as we mark this day, let us remember we have people at the IDP camps,” he appealed pledging that subsequent years, the celebration will be taken to the camps where the persons of concern would take part.
The theme for this year’s commemoration is “Fighting Inequality for a Resilient Future.”
Earlier, the Executive Director, Elim CVTC, Mr Emmanuel Egbodo, had appreciated the Benue state government, and SEMA for taking interest to organize the event saying the day sheds light on the pressing issues of disaster risk reduction and the significance of building a resilient future.
Egbodo who is also the Program Manager for the Enabling Resilience to Climate Change Related Risks (ER2CC) project in Benue State, a project funded by the Christian Blinden Mission, (CBM), International and the European Union, (EU), said the theme, “Fighting Inequality for a Resilient Future,” is in line with Elim’s vision which is centered on supporting and building capacity of “Persons with Disabilities and other Vulnerable Groups to enjoy full participation in a safe and an Inclusive Society”.
According to him, Elim is committed to promoting empowerment and inclusion of persons with disabilities and other vulnerabilities by facilitating equal access to sustainable disability and community development services, through partnerships and collaborations with all relevant stakeholders.
He said there was need for organizations, agencies, and communities worldwide to emphasize the significance of reducing disaster risks and promoting a future that can withstand the challenges posed by nature’s unpredictability.
“In 2023, our theme, “Fighting Inequality for a Resilient Future,” is a stark reminder that the impact of disasters is not distributed equitably. It is often those who are already vulnerable, marginalized, and disadvantaged that suffer the most when disaster strikes.
To combat inequality for a resilient future, Egbodo called on the state government and its partners to focus in enhancing resilience through targeted investments in vulnerable communities, equipping them with the necessary resources and knowledge to prepare for and recover from disasters.
He also encouraged ensuring universal access to disaster risk information and education, irrespective of socio-economic status and addressing poverty as a central strategy to reduce disaster risk, targeting the root causes of inequality.
He appreciated Governor Hyacinth Alia for ensuring inclusion of PWDs in his government and building their resilient and the Commissioner for Water Resource, Environment and Climate Change, Mr Odoh Ugwu, for his support to the domestication of National Climate Change Policy in Benue State.
Also speaking, the Speacial Adviser to Benue state Governor on Special Needs, Hon. Bem Anshe, urged the state government to always factor in the needs of PWDs in all their advocacies and programmes so as to close the information barrier between them and the government.
He appreciated Alia for projecting the needs and interests of PWDs by creating an office for the Special Adviser for Special Needs and subsequently, appointing him, Bem Anshe, to serve in the capacity of adviser.
While noting that persons with disabilities no longer suffer any negligence, Mr Anshe, who is also the Chairman, Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, (JONAPWD), in the state, appreciated SEMA for including their members in their interventions at the IDP camps just as he hailed Elim Foundation for featuring PWDs in all their programmes in the state.