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Momodou
Denmark
11713 Posts |
 Posted - 15 Sep 2010 : 14:38:06
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SIDIA’S LETTER TO THE NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AGENCY
3rd September, 2010
Executive Director
National Disaster Management Agency
Re: A Mature and Professional Approach To Disaster Relief In Wuli
On Thursday 26 August 2010, I held a Press Conference to indicate to all concerned persons that the huge down pour of rain has resulted in substantial loss of property in Sutukoba in Wuli East and Sutukonding in Wuli West. I have a family compound at Sutukonding and have been there to find out what happened. I have made it categorically clear that 27 compounds were affected at varying degrees in Sutukonding. I also have a family compound in Sutukoba. I received the information from the victims that 6 horses and one donkey perished in the flood caused by torrential rain. Two other persons are said to have reported losses but it was not confirmed by the time I was holding the press conference. This is why I indicated that 6 to 8 horses drowned in the flood. There is no inaccuracy in the figures I have given and any attempt by your staff to trivialize my report is unprofessional and disconcerting to say the least.
The reason why I decided to announce that I will launch a relief initiative is because of my realisation that the victims had not received any substantial assistance up to the time I held the Press Conference.
There is absolutely no doubt that the losses incurred in Sutukoba and Sutukonding are of a magnitude which exceeds the ability of most of those affected to cope with its effect using their own resources.
This is why relief is needed. For your information a good horse now costs about D20,000 dalasis. A farmer who loses a horse at the peak of the rainy season is clearly disadvantaged in many ways. This is precisely the reason why I took the decision to undertake a relief initiative. Suffice it say, Section 2 of the Act takes cognizance of the initiative of volunteers .This includes a person who assists on his or her own initiative in response to a disaster in circumstances in which the assistance was reasonably given.
It is therefore incomprehensible why a member of your staff would inject skepticism and uncertainty in the whole exercise. What is there to gain by your apex institution by challenging statistics and warning against misapplication of the law? I do not have monopoly over the facts on the ground and I could have done what a Parliamentarian would ordinarily do, that is to raise the questions at the National Assembly and your institution is duty bound to give me all the facts through the Minister responsible for your operations.
However, since I am of the conviction that disaster requires concerted effort at a National, Regional, District and Village levels to be addressed, I wish to propose a joint initiative to handle the problem.
On your part, the provision of Section 60, 66 and 77 of the National Disaster Management Act, 2008, section 60 (1) states categorically that there is hereby established a village Disaster Committee for each village or cluster of villages as determined under Section 92(2) of the Local Government Act 2002.
Subsection 2 adds that The Village Development Committee established under Section 92(1) of the Local Government Act 2002 shall act as the Village Disaster Management Committee for the village. This should be followed by the appointment of Village Disaster Coordinator and Village Disaster Management Plan. It is necessary for the requirements of the law to be put into effect with immediacy. I will be more than willing to assist the Committee to mobilise financial and material resources to address the disasters in a transparent and accountable manner.
In the interim, I will motivate concerned residents of Wuli to establish a Community based organisation to assist disaster victims in Wuli. I hope your concern for the victims would motivate you to cooperate with the Community Based Organisation to redress the damages.
In my view, giving food items is a good gesture but it does not necessarily amount to substantive relief granted to disaster victims. What constitutes substantive relief is to return the victim to be as close to his financial or material wellbeing prior to the disaster. Those who lost horses should be able to get horses back. Those whose buildings collapsed should be able to get shelter in return. Those who have lost cooking utensils, seeds, clothes, and foodstuff should be able to get back what they have lost
I hope your Agency would concur with this proposition.
While anticipating a fruitful cooperation to address the plight of our people
I remain
Yours truly
Sidia Jatta
National Assembly Member for Wuli West
CC: Chairperson, National Disaster Management Council |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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