The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), AVM Muhammadu Muhammed, has said that the agency is currently incapacitated in the air as its operational plane and helicopter are grounded.
The NEMA boss stated this on Thursday while making a presentation before the Senate Committee on Special Duties on budgetary provisions for the agency in 2019 and 2020.
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“For the Air Ambulance undergoing repairs, parts being sought for in France are still being expected.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is not even helping matters as cancellation of flights from one country to the other over the months has slowed down the process of putting the air ambulance in good shape of air worthiness.
“The same fate is also befalling our operational helicopter which has remained grounded,” he said.
He, however, informed the committee members that required collaborations are being made with the Nigeria Air Force in terms of operational efficiency of the aircrafts when eventually put in shape.
On budgetary provisions, the NEMA DG said for the 2019 fiscal year, the total sum of N22billion was earmarked for the agency out of which N16billion was cash backed, leaving a difference of N6billion.
The interactive session was also attended by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq and the officials of the North East Development Commission (NEDC).
On why her ministry spent 70% of N400 million take-off grant on office furnishing, the minister said she had used a private property as office for three months before the ministry was allocated space.
She said the new office was grossly inadequate.
In his closing remarks, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf (APC Taraba Central) said all the challenges identified by the various agencies would be critically looked into by the committee through required legislative intervention.
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