A’Ibom partners Lagos State on emergency management

Etim Ekpimah

Officials of the Akwa Ibom State Emergency Management Agency are in Lagos to get first-hand information on how to increase their knowledge of emergency management.

The call, which is a three-day field visit is aimed at sharing inter-state knowledge on emergency management.

The three-day visit, which commenced on Monday, 20th November to end on Wednesday, 22nd November 2023, is to enable the Akwa Ibom team to understudy the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA.

During the welcome tour at the LASEMA Control Centre in Alausa, the Permanent Secretary, LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, said cases of casualty in Lagos emergencies have reduced drastically due to the investment of Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu’s administration in rescue operations.

Dr Oke-Osanyintolu who attributed the successes recorded in Lagos Emergency Management Agency to the collaborative efforts of all first responders in the State, which include LASTMA, Fire service, RRS and Ambulance service, urged the Akwa Ibom team to replicate the local emergency team at the grassroots.

Giving an overview of LASEMA’s Operations, the Director, Operations and Maintenance of the Agency, Engr. Olatunde Akinsanya noted that the Agency operates in two key strategic levels with offices located in three Senatorial Districts of the State for a swift and efficient response system.

On his part, the Akwa Ibom Emergency Team lead, Mr John Isangedighi, said the choice of coming to Lagos to understudy LASEMA was due to the success stories and being adjudged as the best nationwide.

Mr Isangedighi who admitted that Akwa Ibom does not have a functional emergency management system, promised that Governor Bassey Eno’s administration will ensure that knowledge gained from LASEMA is conceptualized and replicated in Akwa Ibom State.

In addition, the delegates were taken on a tour of the agency’s state-of-the-art facilities at the Relief/Resettlement Centre, LASU-Igando Road, Igando and the equipment hub of the agency, Cappa Base, Oshodi.