FEMA PRESS RELEASE.Garki Building Collapse: Stakeholders Hold After Action Review Meeting:

August 31, 2023
5:47 am

Following the collapsed building at Garki Village on 23 August, 2023 ,and subsequent rescue by the Responders., an after -Action review meeting was held in Abuja in order to review the response.

Declaring the meeting open, the Director General of the FCT Emergency Management Agency,(FEMA), Dr Abbas Garba Idriss said it was to generate actionable recommendations that can improve preparedness, response and recovery for future events.
Dr Idriss stated that the meeting would also review activities of responders at the scene of the incident to identify gaps and areas of lapses to forestall a reoccurrence.
The Director General commended all the responders for their prompt and timely response.
“Despite delay on the arrival of rescue equipment, the responders used their knowledge and professionalism to rescue 37 affected persons from the rubbles.

He appeals to all the responders to take coordination and synergy more seriously in order to achieve the desired goals.

The stakeholders identified some obstacles, such as the crowd, which did not allow them access to the scene.
The meeting also identified no availability of Muster Point as well as information on the number of occupants in the building.
Also identified was the mob action, which tried to vandalise some of the equipment used by the responders.
It was therefore resolved that the Nigeria Police Force and the NCSDC should intensify more efforts in condoning and incident scenes in order to provide security to the rescuers.
The DG informed that the meeting was not to apportion blame, urging the first responders at the scene of an incident to activate other responders quickly to be able to handle the situation effectively.
The meeting underscored the need for coordination and cooperation among emergency responders, the need to also establish an information point at incident scenes as well as provision of adequate equipment and trained manpower.
Dr Idriss, who maintained that 37 victims were rescued from the Garki collapsed building and all of them are responding to treatment.
He commends the Honourable Minister Chief Nyeson Wike for approving the settlement of the medical bills of the affected persons.
Idriss added that the welfare team has been visiting the patients to offer psycho social support.
He commended the synergy between emergency responders during the incident.

15 The Department of Development Control, FCT Police Command,Federal Fire Service, FCT Fire Service,the Red Cross, and the National Emergency Management Agency were among stakeholders that attended the meeting .
Others were the Federal Road Safety Corps FCT Command and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.