Yemisi Dada
The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has challenged the Lagos State government to wield its big stick on residents disposing waste indiscriminately to ensure a cleaner environment.
NEMA Director General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, threw the challenge at a one-day stakeholders workshop themed, “Harnessing waste management and floods response mechanism” organised by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, in collaboration with NEMA, held in Alausa.
The NEMA DG who was represented by the Head of operations NEMA Territorial Office Lagos, Mrs Adenike Ibitayo, urged stakeholders including community leaders to continually sensitize residents on proper waste disposal to avoid the flash floods that affected most parts of the state in the first half of the year, as the August break for the rains will soon be over.
She assured of NEMA’s willingness to sustain the collaboration with LASEMA to explore long term and more sustainable solutions to both natural and human induced disasters in Lagos.
“NEMA is going from state to state across the country to educate residents through their SEMA on ways to mitigate against flooding. Community leaders must join hands with government to achieve this as they are the closest to the grassroots, together we can achieve a flood free Lagos and Nigeria.”
The Permanent Secretary at LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyitolu, stated that the workshop seeks to unravel new ways of mitigating floods and other disasters using new technologies.
Dr Oke-Osanyintolu who blamed the flash floods in Lagos on improper waste management by residents, harped on the need to safeguard the environment by ensuring that all drainage are cleared up, with a call on residents to desist from dumping refuse indiscriminately.
“Disaster Management is everybody’s responsibility. The Lagos State government under the watch of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-olu has done everything humanly possible to ensure effective, efficient and quality emergency and disaster management in Lagos by investing in equipment and man power, residents should reciprocate that by keeping their surroundings clean at all times and ensure free flow of water in their drainage to prevent flash flooding anytime it rains.”
The stakeholders forum was attended by traditional and community leaders, students, representatives of Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, LAWMA and other relevant agencies.
Discover more from Radio Nigeria Lagos
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
