SEMA trains 405 safety security volunteers in Kaduna

The Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said it has trained 405 volunteers from seven local government areas of the state on safety and security measures.

The Executive Secretary of the agency, Ben Kure, at the opening of the one-day training on Tuesday in Kaduna, said the volunteers were drawn from 81 wards of Kaduna Central Senatorial zone.

He listed the LGA’s as Giwa, Kaduna North, Chukun, Kaduna South, Igabi, Kajuru and Birnin Gwari.

Represented by Abubakar Ibrahim, Director of Administration and Finance of the agency, Kure described the training as a sure step towards improving security and emergency management in local government areas.

“Our goal is to localise security and emergency management to ensure quick response to emergencies to avert loss of lives and property,” he said.

Kure said the initiative would improve timely response to emergencies in rural areas.

He urged the volunteers to discharge their duties diligently and provide timely information to relevant government agencies for prompt action.

Mr Ogungbuyi Emmanuel, Lead Consultant, Annuels Consulting, the company handling the programme, explained that five persons were selected across each ward.

“The initiative was born out of the realisation that safety and security can be driven by the people it affects directly at local levels.

“We believe that much could be achieved in the area of security and emergency management if the people are engaged to drive the process,”he said.

Emmanuel said the state was designing new security architecture through voluntarism.

He said that the volunteers would be trained and kitted with safety jackets and phones to enable them effectively carry out their task.

The training was on basic life support, safety and security models, incident reporting and communication in emergency.