Nigeria Content Online

The
Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, yesterday played host to
the 5th simulation exercise of National Emergency Management Agency
(NEMA) to prepare the organization and its relevant stakeholders for
disaster/emergency situations come 2011 general elections.

The exercise, code
named ‘Operation Itoju’ was conducted by the Armed Forces Simulation
Centre of the Command and Staff College Jaji.

Director general of
NEMA, Mohammed Audu Bida, said in Kaduna that as Nigeria gradually
moves towards the 2011 general elections, the agency has, as part of
the effort of the government to achieve zero crisis during the general
election, taken the step to ensure a holistic emergency preparedness
that will make for the safety of the generality of the citizenry during
the polls.

The agency gathered
all major stakeholders in emergency management, ranging from the armed
forces, paramilitary groups, Federal Road Safety Commission, Red Cross,
and others to a week-long exercise to simulate possible electioneering
crisis.

“NEMA’s vision is
to build a culture of preparedness, response and community resilience
to disaster in Nigeria,” said Mr. Bida. He expressed hope that the
exercise, coming at the heels of the 2011 general election, is meant to
achieve this vision.

The agency boss
also highlighted the intention of NEMA to use the exercise to test the
effectiveness of its recently adopted ‘Search and Rescue and Epidemic
Evacuation Plan,’ as applied to disaster relating to civil unrest.

S.A. Leks, the commandant of the Armed Forces Command and Staff
College, said training through simulation is a global trend that calls
for a practical involvement of the requisite experience and
professional competencies of all officers involved.