The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB, has signed a Memorandum of understanding, MOU, with the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA to enhance safety in the State.
The MOU was signed at the LASEMA control centre, Alausa Ikeja, by the NSIB Director General, Mr. Akin Olateru and LASEMA’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Femi Oke-Osanyintolu and witnessed by key top officials of both agencies.
The NSIB Director General, Mr. Akin Olateru who said the idea for the partnership was proposed in March this year following the bus and train accident in Ikeja commended LASEMA for its swift response to boost safety and security in Lagos.
According to Mr Akin Olateru, the MOU would ensure capacity building, training and exchange of ideas between NSIB
and LASEMA.
He said “We are not the first responders, so, it is very important to sign with the first responders so that they understand our role, how we do things, it is all about proper coordination, there would be no conflict and overlap. The International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, is auditing Nigeria in August this is part of what they like to see, that you have partnered with first responders”
He used the opportunity to also call on the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA and other State counterparts as well as the Nigeria Police to also partner with it, not just to preserve evidence at accidents sites, but to also prevent a reoccurrence.
Mr Olateru explained “one major thing that makes it imperative for us to collaborate with the Police is that we had an occurrence in the past, the black box was stolen from a crash site, till today we nevwr found it, that’s a story gone, forever, we don’t want that repeat, this is why as a responsible organisation, as a responsible nation as a responsible State, we need to prepare to ensure coordination and collaboration, because emergencies will happen as long as human beings are in charge”
On his part, LASEMA’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu said the partnership with NSIB was to further assure Lagosians of the State Government’s commitment to their total safety and protection.
Pointing out that the State government had already invested hugely in road and waterways accident and emergency management, Dr Oke-Osanyintolu noted that the MoU would take care of the air space in Lagos, and further enhance the professional conduct of LASEMA’s staffers at emergency sites.
“As far as emergency is concerne, we are fully equipped and ready, I can confidently assure Lagosians that we have the capacity to manage the golden hour and with this MoU, the professional capbility of LASEMA operation staff will be enhanced, they will know how to protect themselves at accident scenes, because emergency management is not just about search and rescue alone, but also about the protection of the first responders” Oke-Osanyintolu emphasised.
Dr Oke-Osanyintolu announced that LASEMA is already working with twenty-five United Nations Agencies, as well as the International Organisation for Migration, IOM and the Univerisity of Lagos to train staff members who were drafted into LASEMA from the Civil Service at inception on core emergency management, risk accessment and mitigation.
As part of the MoU, two hundred LASEMA staffers will be trained by NSIB training partners before the end of this month.
Ikeja Light Aircraft crash
Meanwhile, the NSIB says one of the two persons who survived the aircraft crash in Lagos has been discharged from the hospital.
NSIB Director-General, Mr. Akin Olateru who made this known in an interview with newsmen shortly after signing an MoU with LASEMA in Ikeja said investigation is ongoing and it is still too early to identify the cause of the accident involving the light aircraft as it has no recorder
The NSIB DG explained that the aircraft was the first of its kind in Nigeria and there was a need to visit the manufacturer in South Africa to ascertain the cause of the accident.
The single engine light aircraft was on a test flight within Lagos with two passengers on board before it crashed around Oba Akran road, Ikeja with no fatality.on Tuesday this week.
Discover more from Radio Nigeria Lagos
Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.
