Disaster: Lagos records 959 incidents in 11 months

Thu, Dec 19, 2019
By publisher
3 MIN READ

Politics

The Director-General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, on Wednesday said the state recorded 959 disaster incidents between January and November.

Oke-Osanyintolu said this during a sensitisation programme on collapsed Building, Road traffic Accident/ Articulated Vehicles and Flooding in Lagos.

He explained that the incidents included road accident, fire outbreak, collapsed building and flooding

He said that 515 out of the 959 incidents occurred between January and June, while 444 incidents were recorded between July and November.

“Data also indicate that from the 959 incidents recorded, road accident was 315 with the highest recorded in May and June which had 50 incidents each,

while the lowest rate of accidents recorded in July, stand at six records.

“The stakeholders meeting is intended to provide us with workable strategies to renew the confidence in our collective ability, responsibility and capacity to rise up to any emergency and disaster challenges.

“It is, therefore, suffice to say that this meeting will afford us an opportunity of in-depth review and plan of various stakeholders as well as to strengthen our collective roles in the prevention, preparedness, management, mitigation, response and recovery in emergencies and disasters.

“The disaster such as incessant collapsed buildings, road traffic accidents, flooding, fire outbreak and a host of other disasters in the state.

“Emergencies and disasters by nature are unforeseen and sudden. Hence, this explains why the knock-backs inflicted by them are usually deadly, devastating and the effects of these disasters are on the grassroots,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.

He reiterated the collaboration of LASEMA with stakeholders for effective disaster management in the state in line with the mission and vision of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.

Oke-Osanyintolu said that the collaboration included sharing of information and strategic planning toward effective and efficient emergency and disaster management.

He said that the agency would not arrogate to itself the power to exclusive knowledge and capacity of responding to all emergencies without active support from relevant stakeholders.

Oke-Osanyintolu said that the agency would strengthen the relationship among all its stakeholders for the purpose of making the state a safe haven.

He promised a continued collaboration and extension of emergencies preparedness, mitigation and response to every nooks and crannies of the state.

Also speaking, a former Commissioner for Environment, Mr Kayode Anibaba, urged the state government to enact laws under the National Building Code with specification of concrete strength and other ratio involved in building.

Anibaba called for adequate monitoring by competent hands while the building was under construction to ensure erection of concrete structure in the state.

He said that the neighbourhood should also be the watchdog of the government and quickly notify the local government of incompetence in the erection of building in their area.

In his contribution, an Architect, Mr Ladipo Lewis, commended  Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for continuous sensitisation of safety requirements with the environment.

Lewis said there was need for the government to enforce the building code and utilise it to reduce disaster to the barest minimum.

He said that there were lots of old buildings that needed to be retrofitted, while many properties had been distorted by fire, adding that availability of the code requirement would have mitigated such disaster from happening. (NAN)

– Dec. 19, 2019 @ 7:55 GMT

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