Encomium
The Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Mr Seye Oladejo has disclosed that Governor Ambode has approved the establishment of four more LASEMA Response Units (LRU) in four Divisions of the State, just as he disclosed that a new fire station will also be built at Ijegun area of the State.
The new LRU, according to the Commissioner, would be situated at Badagry, Costain, Epe and Ikorodu areas of the State respectively, adding that the decision to locate a new fire station at Ijegun was informed by the determination of the State Government to prevent a reoccurrence of the recent fire incident that gutted a tank farm at Ijegun-Ibasa in the Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos.
The Commissioner revealed this on Tuesday during a quarterly stakeholders meeting of all emergency responders in the State on the review of the Lagos State Emergency Response Plan (ERP) at Alausa, Ikeja
Oladejo said that the State Government is not only exploring emergency response on water, land and air but is also expanding its scope through the establishment of more Emergency Response Units across different areas of the State such that the response rate of emergency responders would be quicker and faster.
In his words, “In this year 2018, we want to significantly reduce delay in responding to emergency situations and in achieving this, we recognize the role of all relevant stakeholders in making this possible including members of the public”.
“With these concerted efforts being made to salvage lives and property within the ‘Golden Hour’, the establishment of more LRUs will definitely complement these efforts and this will automatically result in the procurement and deployment of more equipment and training of our personnel to effectively manage these emergency occurrences”, the Commissioner asserted.
In his welcome address, the General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu said that the periodic stakeholders’ meeting is meant to seek further collaboration as well as to synergize in the area of operations towards achieving a sustainable reduction in disaster risk as well as effective and efficient management of emergencies in the State.
According to him, the gathering will also afford relevant stakeholders the opportunity of an in-depth review of their individual and collective roles in disaster prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery in the State.
He also noted that the idea of the meeting was to build further collaboration and to look for opportunity in increasing the capacity building of the stakeholders which will serve as a solid foundation for effective and efficient emergency/disaster management in the State.
Tiamiyu averred that LASEMA is putting in place an Emergency Response Protocol to confront the numerous emergency situations that arise due to the cosmopolitan nature of Lagos, stressing that the relationship between LASEMA and all its stakeholders must be strengthened and solidified for the purpose of making the State a safe haven.
Representatives of emergency responders present at the event include the officials of the Lagos State Government and its Agencies, Miltary and para-military organisations as well as humanitarian organisations among others.
