From Mike Sogbola-
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has warned stakeholders in the humanitarian aid support to the North East against duplicating interventions.
The Director General of NEMA, Alhaji Mustapha Maihaja told a meeting of the stakeholders on Wednesday in Maiduguri that there should be strong coordinator of humanitarian activities in the troubled region with an eye to neutralizing duplication of aids.
Speaking at the emergency stakeholders and humanitarian coordination forum meeting; Maihaja noted that the forum was to strengthen the coordination mechanism for humanitarian activities in Borno state in particular and northeast in general.
He said the forum will also ensure harmonious working relationship with all stakeholders and humanitarian actors.
Maihaja who was represented by a director in the agency, Kayode Fagbemi, said: “Today’s forum will forge a united front in our humanitarian intervention, share information of all sector plans and activities to avoid duplication efforts.
“It will also strengthen inter-agency collaboration and mobilize support towards the gaps that are being faced by a population of 2.8 million.
“We will harmonize national efforts with our partners and international actors.”
He promised that the agency will continue to support Internally Displaced Persons
(IDPs) and strengthen their resilience with livelihoods interventions.
He further disclosed that 12,000 farmers in Borno state, will receive seed and farm inputs this planting season through federal government emergency agricultural intervention fund.
Later in an interview with journalists, Fagbemi, said “so many humanitarian actors in the region are doing things they (NEMA) are not aware of.”
“As the intervention is ongoing, they are a lot of duplications and gaps, despite the enormous resources of humanitarian agencies,” Fagbemi said.
He said instead of having these duplications; their resources should be used to cover the identified humanitarian gaps.
He said: “What we intend to do, is to put our capital and human resources on the table, and ask; what do you have; what can they cover and which areas the resources can cover?”
He said that instead, of the humanitarian agencies use their resources they want; NEMA should take control of where the resources are employed.
He said the agency is enhancing cooperation and collaboration to ensure that humanitarian agencies do what is needed in region.
Speaking on agencies’ duplication, he lamented that: “The same person getting cash intervention from an agency are also getting food from another agency; but other people are not benefiting.
“Let us know who is doing what; where and when they do it. This is what the emergency stakeholders and humanitarian coordination forum meeting in to achieve.”
He said Nigeria has the capacity to say; “No, don’t operate and respond there to ensure cooperation and collaboration of humanitarian assistance to IDPs.”
