By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Lagos State Government has begun training 500  residents across its 57 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas, as volunteers to boost responses during emergency and disasters, especially at the community level.

This came as Lagos State Special Committee on Clean-Up of Ikoyi and Victoria Island, through its Chairman, Mr. Tunji Bello, issued a 21 day grace to owners of all boats in a boat yard located on Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi (at the junction of Iru Close) to remove them or face the wrath of the law.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the two-day training programme for volunteers, yesterday at Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Relief Camp, Igando area of the state, Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Mr. Seye Oladejo, said the move was part of government’s efforts towards reducing and managing disaster risk through capacity building of local inhabitants.

At the programme which was organised by LASEMA, Oladejo stressed that the idea of engaging local emergency volunteers was to ensure that they could report potential emergencies, provide rescue efforts and the mitigation.

He said that the capacity and capability of responders was a crucial factor in the success of mitigating disasters and emergency management.

General Manager of LASEMA, Mr. Adeshina Tiamiyu, said the idea was conceived to bring emergency management to the communities as they bore the real brunt of disasters.

Mr. Adebayo Olayinka, who spoke on behalf of the participants, promised that they would ensure safety of lives and property in their various communities.

21 day ultimatum to boat owners

Bello, who is also the Secretary to the State Government, SSG,  in a statement yesterday, warned the owners of all the boats and other vehicles parked within the yard to remove them immediately as law enforcement would be deployed to impound them after the expiration of notice.

According to Bello, the order which is part of the Clean-up mandate of the committee became necessary following complaints and representations from members of the public and residents of the area on the unwholesome activities going on in the location.