The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Saturday in Abuja organised the maiden staff fun run to boost the physical fitness of its staff to enhance efficiency in rescue operations.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a fun run is a friendly race that involves either road running or cross country running with participants taking part for their own enjoyment rather than competition.
Mr Mustapha Maihaja, Director-General of NEMA, said at the event that it was aimed at ensuring that rescue operators would remain in good shape and good health to avoid ‘becoming a disaster while managing a disaster’.
Maihaja, who was represented by Air Commodore Akugbe Iyamu, Director of Search and Rescue, NEMA, said that the fun run was part of the efforts to reposition NEMA for efficient service delivery.
Maihaja said that he was set to make the agency world-class, adding that ensuring good health for the staff was a major way to achieve the aim.
He added that the programme was to tell the public that NEMA was always ready for disaster management.
“Rescue workers have to be physically fit so they do not become disasters during rescue operations.
“The fun run was very satisfactory; this is the maiden edition; this is one of the programmes lined up to take the agency forward.
“Subsequently, we would bring everyone onboard,’’ Maihaja said.
He hailed the staff members who defied rain to participate in the event, saying that it showed that the workers were ready to improve.
The director-general urged the staff to key into the agency’s three Rs – reorientation, reconstruction and repositioning.
Maihaja said that disaster management was a collective effort, and called on members of the public to assist the agency in achieving its goals.
He urged the public to alert NEMA of any disasters for immediate response.
In an interview with NAN, a staff of the agency, Mr Sule Yakubu, said that he was pleased with the initiative.
He described the fun run as a step toward ensuring good health of NEMA staff.
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