In a determined bid to bolster Ekiti State’s responses to disaster and emergency management to safeguard the lives of the citizens, Governor Biodun Oyebanji, has strengthened partnership with Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) in terms of personnel training and facilities.
Sequel to the foregoing, the governor has despatched a team of experts to Lagos to understudy LASEMA and domesticate part of their operations to lubricate frictions being experienced in disaster management in Ekiti.
The delegation, led by the Permanent Secretary, Deputy Governor’s Office, Mr. Opeyemi Abayomi, in company of the General Manager, Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency (EKSEMA), Mr. Oludare Asaolu, on Friday visited LASEMA’s office in Lagos to cross fertilize ideas on how to exponentially improve responses to emergency situations in the State.
It would be recalled that Governor Oyebanji, had recently visited LASEMA’s headquarters in Lagos, where he sought a strong partnership with the agencies in critical areas that can be effectively domesticated in Ekiti for improved operation of EKSEMA.
Subsequently, a team of LASEMA experts were drafted to Ekiti to appraise the operational structures and facilities of EKSEMA and all the allied agencies associated with emergency management.
Speaking about the visit in a statement in Ado Ekiti, on Saturday, the leader of the Ekiti’s team and Permanent Secretary, Deputy Governor’s Office, Mr Abayomi Opeyemi, said the partnership was in line with Governor Oyebanji’s resolve to have a safe and secured Ekiti.
Opeyemi stated that the team was deployed to LASEMA to understudy possible areas of collaboration and to ascertain operations obtainable in Lagos that can be adapted in the State in terms of swift response to emergency situations.
The Permanent Secretary added that the kernel of the governor’s strides was targeted at mitigating disasters towards the realization of the shared prosperity mantra of his administration.
According to Opeyemi, “In order to have a first hand information on the best practices in emergency management in Lagos State, Governor Oyebanji approved that EKSEMA, led by myself in company of EKSEMA General Manager, Director of Fire Services and other experts should undertake a study tour of LASEMA.
“The study tour is with a view to learning from the expertise of LASEMA, explore areas of collaboration and fashion out ways of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of SEMA especially in the areas emergency and disaster management, including fire services, rapid response initiatives, and ambulance services.
“The team were at the headquarters of LASEMA where they learnt about the integrated approach to disaster management, the Fire Services office, the LASEMA Response Unit at Cappa and its equipment hub, the Internally Displaced Persons camp at Igando, the Onipanu Response Base as well as the Lekki Response Base”.
As part of the interactive visit, the Permanent Secretary, revealed that the team had engaging sessions with the Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, heads of LASEMA agencies, technical partners and the management team.
He said they also attended a workshop tagged: ‘Strengthening Flood Resilience in Vulnerable Communities in Lagos State’ to further expose EKSEMA’s experts and operators to modern techniques and innovations in disaster mitigation and management.