States Residents’ Indiscipline Responsible For High Rate Of Disaster
Ibeju-Lekki may be home to multi-billion naira architectural masterpieces, but a risk assessment conducted by Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has resulted in a grim report -Ibeju-Lekki is very vulnerable to disaster.
The LASEMA DG, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu said it is the reason his agency is taking special interest and commitment in tackling disaster in the state’s Lagos East senatorial zone.
He said Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu is also taking disaster management in the Lagos East senatorial zone serious, reason he has committed to opening a LASEMA Response Unit in Epe before the year runs out.
Speaking at the end of 2021 staff training for 100 junior staff of the agency, he maintained that the biggest challenge his agency is grappling with is the orientation of the people towards disaster, because most of the disaster that had occurred were due to the citizen’s carelessness and recklessness.
He wondered why a resident would store petrochemical products in his or her shop, while another who is erecting a structure would flagrantly disobey the state building code, aimed at ensuring safety and averting disaster.
Oke-Osanyintolu said about a week ago, an articulated vehicle driving against traffic rammed into a moving train, which resulted in a disaster. He noted that driving against traffic had been condemned and a law formulated to penalise offenders in the state.
He implored residents to change, if disaster rate must reduced in 2021, promising that his agency would continue to carry out sensitisation programmes and activities to educate residents.
He explained that the training was to re-energise the officers, so that they can be more committed to disaster management, as those trained were operations officers.
He disclosed that resource persons spoke to the participants on how to better do their jobs, issues around ethics, service and team building. He added that the ultimate goal is to better serve Lagos residents.
