THE Lagos State Government says it will soon establish three additional emergency response centres in Ikorodu, Epe and Badagry divisions of the state.

The Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr Oluseye Oladejo, made this known on Tuesday during the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) 2018 Quarterly Stakeholders’ Meeting.

The theme of the meeting is “Coordination: An Integral Tool in Emergency/Disaster Response’’.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Jemilade Longe, the commissioner said that the  new emergency response centres would cover Badagry/Temu Junction, Itoikin/Epe-Ijebu Ode and Ikorodu/Agbowa axis.

According to him, the government will also establish a conventional LASEMA Response Unit (LRU) at Costain to cover Apapa axis and its environs.

“The significance of these centres is towards continued protection of community asset and cultural heritage.

“It is also towards a safer environment, as well as increase in investment infrastructure of the state’s economy.

He said that the present administration in Lagos State had built a formidable and resilient disaster reduction and emergency management plan backed by good leadership.

Oladejo said that the government’s strong resilience base gave room for decentralised competencies, optimal use of resources and maintenance of scientific technology.

He said that government’s resilience gave room for less diversion of state resources to disaster response and recovery.

The commissioner said that government had upgraded the technology of the facility of Call Centre on the emergency toll free line 767/112.

He said that government had improved attention to and transfer of distress calls and transfer to appropriate agencies that would respond to emergency situation on 24-hours basis.

According to him, this has in no small measure enhanced in achieving of golden hours in response to most emergencies.

“The establishment of the Monitoring and Surveillance Unit of LASEMA toward prevention and mitigation of hazards, risk and vulnerabilities as a strategy for reducing disaster risks is also a major innovative idea.

“Presently, there is evidence of protection of lives and properties; dramatic reduction in fatalities and injuries from emergency/disaster situations.

“This is as a result of the decentralisation of emergency/disaster management from one Response Unit in Alausa before the advent of this present administration, now to three centres,” he said.

Oladejo said that the three centres were the LASEMA Response Unit (LRU), Cappa Oshodi, LASEMA Response Unit, Lekki and LASEMA Response Unit, Onipanu.

“Our collective aspiration is a Lagos mega city, where incidents of disaster are brought to the barest minimum and cases of emergency responded to with promptitude and world class methods,” the commissioner said. (NAN)

– Aug. 7, 2018 @ 18:39 GMT |