The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has debunked reports in social media which alleged that a strange flag was hoisted at its headquarters in Abuja.

 

One of the social media reports had said:

 

“Taliban Govt! Islamist Flag surfacing in many government establishments in Abuja. This is NEMA Abuja. Please can someone help and tell us what’s happening? Have we been officially islamized and we know it not?”

 

But, NEMA, in a statement on Tuesday by its Press and Public Relations Officer, Manzo Ezekiel, explained that the alleged “strange” flag is that of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and why it was temporarily hoisted at its national headquarters in Abuja.

 

The agency in the statement while describing the reports as false, insisted that only its flag and that of the Nigerian national flag are the only flags in its offices.

 

It noted that the picture in circulation was taken by mischief makers on Friday 13th August 2021, at the commissioning of NEMA’s newly upgraded emergency call centre.

 

The statement reads: “The attention of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has been drawn to a picture with various captions that is circulating in a section of the social media alleging that a strange flag has been hoisted at the headquarters of the Agency in Abuja.

 

“The allegation is false as the Agency has not hoisted any strange flag. The Nigerian national flag and that of NEMA are the only flags in the offices of the agency.

 

“It is unfortunate that the picture in circulation was taken by suspected mischief makers on Friday 13th August 2021, at the commissioning of NEMA’s newly upgraded emergency call centre.”

 

Ezekiel further disclosed that the centre was upgraded with supports from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, which he said also provided food assistance to persons affected by insurgency in the North East and banditry in the North West in 2018 and 2021.

 

He said it is therefore normal to display flags of Nigeria and Saudi Arabia at the commissioning of the upgraded emergency centre.

 

“Flags are very important national symbols. Therefore, it was normal to have flags of Nigeria and that of Saudi Arabia placed behind representatives of the two nations at a bilateral function such as the commissioning of the upgraded call centre that was funded by an agency of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the benefits of Nigerians.

 

“It should be noted that present at the function were representatives of the Embassy of the Saudi Arabia and a team from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre. Afterwards, the Saudi Flag was immediately removed.

 

“This clarification has become imperative to correct the false alarm raised by purveyors of fake news with mischievous intention to misinform the public and create wrong impression about the agency.

 

“The general public is therefore advised to disregard the false alarm and failed campaign of calumny,” the statement said.