Journalists donate relief materials to Red Cross, task govt on disaster preparedness

“Response time in emergencies is very important because it has a great impact on the recovery of disaster victims and the efficiency of the recovery plan.”

Journalists, under the aegis of the Unity Chapel, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Akwa Ibom State Council, have urged the Akwa Ibom State Government to improve its disaster preparedness plan to ensure impacts of response are optimised.

The journalists said there is an urgent need for the state government to improve its logistics plan for emergencies.

The Chairperson of the Unity Chapel, Abasifreke Effiong, stated this when the chapel presented relief materials to the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Akwa Ibom State branch on Thursday.

‘Delay in response to disaster’

Mr Effiong said that journalists have observed that it takes longer, sometimes up to months, before relief materials get to victims of disaster in the Akwa Ibom, hence the trifling impacts of disaster recovery efforts.

“Response time in emergencies is very important because it has a great impact on the recovery of disaster victims and the efficiency of the recovery plan.

“We have observed over time that delivery of relief materials to disaster victims in the state has not been prompt. Late arrival of basic material assistance to disaster victims does not speak well of the state government’s disaster preparedness plan and her responsiveness to emergency.

“We identified this problem and as part of our commitment to solving it, is why we are here to donate these relief materials to the disaster management unit of the Red Cross as part our end-of-year outreach to communities in the state,” Mr Effiong said.

He lauded the Red Cross, Akwa Ibom State branch under the chairmanship of Sam Ikon for expanding the community outreach of the Society to include provision of business grants to youth, a strategy to take them off crime.

Mr Effiong said the Unity Chapel will collaborate with the Red Cross to train journalists on standard first aid, disaster management and safe access. He called on the public to donate to the Red Cross.

Items donated by the chapel were bales of clothes for men, women and children, shoes and mattresses.

‘There should be safety drills for people in public institutions’

Receiving the team, the Chairperson of the Red Cross, Akwa Ibom State branch, Mr Ikon, thanked the Chapel for marking its end-of-year by donating towards a humanitarian course, saying the materials will help the Society cater for the vulnerable and needs of disaster victims.

Mr Ikon said that under his leadership, the Society has trained and given grants to more than 1,500 micro-scale business owners in the State and is currently training volunteers to respond to Mpox.

Mr Ikon, a former speaker of the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly and former member of the House of Representatives, called on the state government to partner with the Society to build capacity for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) across schools and public institutions.

“Government is coming with safety policies, it is our thinking that every school should have a personnel who has knowledge of CPR. This is the area government should partner with the Red Cross. There should be safety drills for people in public institutions,” Mr Ikon stated.

Divisions Affairs Coordinator at the Akwa Ibom branch of the Red Cross, Eyibio Asuquo, said Unity Chapel was the first group to donate to the Society.

“You are the first to donate as a group to the branch. Individuals have been donating. We hope your donation will encourage others to support the work that we are doing here.”

The Branch Secretary, Ubong Jonah, assured that the Society will partner Unity Chapel to train her members.