The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, has identified paucity of funds and obsolete equipment as some of the agency’s challenges limiting its ability to respond to emergencies adequately.
Oke-Osanyintolu stated this, yesterday, when members of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations paid a working visit to the LASEMA control centre at Alausa.
The PS LASEMA also appealed to residents to cooperate with first responders during rescue operations to reduce casualties.
“We have enormous challenges tackling emergencies in Lagos State. We need to have more of the equipment and the ones we have are aging as some of them have been in use since 2007.”
Also, some of the equipment to get their spare parts is very difficult. We need a lot of fund to function very well.”
Rainstorm occurred in Epe but we could not cater for the victims adequately including those affected by fire in Dosunmu, Lagos Island. So, we need fund to support victims of emergency in the state.
“We need to build LASEMA to have adequate equipment to be able to respond adequately and swiftly to emergencies.”
He stated that disaster management is everybody’s business so all stakeholders need to do its bit. He further said that safety of life and property is paramount to the Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
The Committee headed by Rauf Age-Sulaimon, commended LASEMA for its prompt response to emergency and Disaster Management, however advocated more sensitization on its activities to residents.
Age-Sulaimon promised that the challenges hindering emergency operations in the state would be given accelerated attention to ensure improved service delivery to residents.
