8th June, 2024
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu says the agency needs adequate funding to be able to function more effectively.
Oke-Osanyintolu spoke when the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Special Duties and intergovernmental Relations paid a working visit to the agency in Alausa, Ikeja on Friday.
The Permanent Secretary, when asked by the committee to list the challenges of LASEMA so that the agency could be properly helped despite its performance, said the challenges were enormous.
“We need more equipment, we should have more equipment, our equipment are ageing, we have been using them since 2007, to get their parts is difficult.
“We need a lot of fund for us to function very well,” he said, adding that few days ago, there was a wind disaster in Epe “and we don’t have fund. We are appealing that we need more equipment and funds to take care of victims of emergency and disasters. We need funds to train our personnel.”
Oke-Osanyintolu also said money is needed to take care of victims of disasters and that the agency would need more support from the Lagos Assembly.
The Permanent Secretary also appealed to residents to cooperate with first responders during rescue operations to reduce casualties.
Chairman of the committee, Dr Rauf Age-Sulaimon, commended LASEMA for its prompt response to emergency and disaster management, advocating for more sensitization on its activities to residents.
Age-Sulaimon promised to ensure all the challenges hindering emergency operations in the state would be given accelerated attention to ensure improved service delivery to residents.
“As an agency, you should more publicity so that the public will know your activities better. There is need for more enlightenment. I have seen a synergy between you and fire service and safety commission. You people are really collaborating,” he said.