Protocol

I feel highly delighted to be part of this epoch-making event. I have watched the activities of the Management Agency (NEMA) over the interest and listened carefully to the speech of the Ag. Director-General, Alhaji S.S. Makarfi.

I must say that NEMA has done well in providing succour to the ever increasing number of victims of disasters nationwide and has positively contributed to the social and political growth of the country.

When we nursed the idea of establishing the National Emergency Relief Agency in 1976, during my tenure as Military Head of State, we were simply responding to the need to provide relief assistance to victims of the numerous disasters that occurred around the country at that time. Hence, the Agency was a small unit in the office of the Chief of General Staff. Two decades later, we are happy to see that what we started as a small concern for providing relief for disaster victims has transformed into an autonomous entity fully engaged in pro-active and coordinated management of disaster.

Having refocused the concept of disaster management and developed common and unique capabilities required to perform its function, NEMA seems to have moved from post-disaster intervention to a comprehensive risk-based emergency management programme of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery in line with the trend all over the world. NEMA's Disaster Response Plan, the Cospas-Sarsat System, the Helicopter Project, the Flood Vulnerability Study as well as the networking of its activities together represent a bold approach to disaster management which is highly commendable.

These developments are in tandem determined efforts at ensuring that with this Administration’s determined efforts at ensuring that government accords the well-being of Nigerians the highest possible priority. This commitment underlies the on-going reform agenda which is aimed at not only properly grounding democratic governance in our country, but more directly at ensuring growth and sustained development as well as engendering stability. We are very much on course and will continue to support every initiative in this direction.

It is my hope that the Mission Control Centre (MCC) will be utilized for the collective benefit of all Nigerians. I wish to congratulate the NEMA Governing Council under the Chairmanship of Mr. Vice President and the Management under AIhaji S.S. Makarfi for a job well done. I expect that you will not relent in your laudable efforts.

Thank you and God bless.