Journalists in the Unity Chapel, one of the 16 clusters of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Akwa Ibom State have donated relief materials to the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), Akwa Ibom State branch.
The Chapel also harped on the urgent need for state government to mprove disaster preparedness plan to ensure impacts of response are optimised.
Chairman of Unity Chapel, Abasifreke Effiong, stated this when the chapel presented relief materials to NRCS on Thursday.
Effiong said as journalists they have observed that it takes longer time than necessary, sometimes months before relief materials get to victims of disaster in the State, hence trifling impacts of disaster recovery efforts.
“Response time in emergencies is very important because it has great impact on recovery of disaster victims and the efficiency of the recovery plan.”
“We have observed overtime 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 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.”
He lauded the NRCS, Akwa Ibom State branch under the chairmanship of Pastor 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.
Effiong said Unity Chapel will collaborate with the Red Cross to train journalists on standard first aid, disaster management and safe access, called on the public to donate to the NRCS.
Items donated by the chapel were bales of clothes for men, women and children, shoes and mattresses.
Receiving the team, Chairman NRCS Akwa Ibom State branch, Pastor Sam Ikon, lauded the Chapel for marking its end-of-year by donating towards humanitarian course, saying the materials will help the Society cater for the vulnerable and needs of disaster victims.
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Ikon said under his leadership NRCS has trained and given grants to more than 1500 micro-scale business owners in the State and currently training volunteers on response to MPOX.
Ikon, a former Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and member of the House of Representatives called on the State government to partner the NRCS to build capacity on 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”, Ikon stated.
Divisions Affairs Coordinator at the branch, Mr 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 be a contact for others to lend support to the work that we are doing here.”
The Branch Secretary, Mr Ubong Jonah, said NRCS will partner Unity Chapel to train her members.
