To ensure a flood-free Lagos this year, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, has expressed readiness to partner the state Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, in building capacity of its staff in disaster and emergency management.
Permanent Secretary, LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, made this known when he led top management staff of his agency on a courtesy visit to the office of Managing Director LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin in Ijora.
Dr Oke-Osanyintolu noted that the visit became imperative due to the early warning received from NIMET that Lagos is one of the vulnerable city for flooding this year.
He promised more collaboration with other sister Agencies in ensuring that residents of the state do not experience disaster like that of Niger State in which hundreds of residents were swept away by flood with a call on residents to do the needful.
“We don’t want what happened in Niger State to happen in Lagos, so we are continuing collaboration to ensure no flooding disaster in Lagos”
“We are here to commend LAWMA as a great partner in ensuring a flood free Lagos due to the strategic work they do, we have also agreed to sign an MOU, as LASEMA will organize training to build the capacity of LAWMA staff together with other sister Agencies for more effective, efficient collaboration for a better Lagos under the watch of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-olu” Oke-Osanyintolu emphasized.
Responding, MD/CEO LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin commended the initiative of LASEMA in capacity building for his staff and pledged his commitment to building a resilience metropolis in line with the THEMES plus agenda of the Sanwo-olu’s administration.
While emphasizing on the importance of turning waste to wealth, Dr Gbadegesin appealed to residents to cultivate the habit of sorting their waste for easy evacuation.
“My strong words to residents is that they should do the right thing, pack waste tightly not to litter the road, patronize approved PDP operators, desist from indiscriminate dumping of refuse on drainages, it contribute largely to flooding, dont forget the laws are there for defiant residents, just yesterday a 57year old woman was sentenced to three months imprisonment for disposing waste on the road, not be a scapegoat and Lagos will be better off for it in accordance to the THEMES plus agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu in making Lagos a smart city” Gbadegesin said
The LAWMA Boss reaffirmed the state government’s zero tolerance on indiscriminate dumping of waste, maintaining that anyone caught will face the wrath of the law.
Reporting by Yemisi Dada