‘EMBER’ MONTHS: LASEMA BOSS CAUTIONS LAGOSIANS ON SAFETY

IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, has urged Lagosians to be safety conscious, as well as demystify the negative report surrounding the ember-months of September to December periods of the year, said to be often characterised by major emergency/disasters such as auto crashes, fire outbreaks and other tragedies which often claim lives and properties.

Speaking in his office at the Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, the General Manager, LASEMA, Adesina Tiamiyu, noted that the period is mostly characterised with so many activities and high vehicular movement of people and goods in and out of the state, with the festive activities of Christmas and the New Year celebrations.

He expressed the need for attitudinal change of the people, especially motorists and commuters alike, who feel the ember months are a time to double their hustle, thereby rushing to make more money and to get to their various destinations at the least possible time, leading to major road accidents which are caused by either overspeeding and/or reckless driving, alcohol consumption and failing to adhere to traffic rules.

Tiamiyu stressed that the ember months were just like every other month of the calendar year and as such, motorists were advised to ensure necessary safety precautions and strict adherence to traffic laws while driving. He noted that erring offenders would be prosecuted by the state government.

Tiamiyu stated that LASEMA; Lagos State Fire Service; Lagos State Ambulance Service, LASAMBUS; Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, Nigerian Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC and all the other Agencies that are important in the management of emergencies in the state have been put on red alert to secure and protect the lives and properties of people living and doing business in the state during the period.

He attributed one of the major causes of fire outbreak during ember months to air becoming drier, thus encouraging a chain reaction of fire, and also not switching off electrical appliances when not in use, which sometimes resulted in electrical fire outbreaks in public places such as markets, malls and homes, etc. He said this situation was often difficult to control because of the dry season.

He advised residents to adopt electrical safety measures such as to always switch off electrical appliances when not in use, avoid naked wires, avoid storage of combustible substances such as petrol and kerosene to avoid fire outbreak.

The General Manager, however, hinted that in a bid to stem occurrences of major disasters and emergencies in the state, the Agency as part of its advocacy programme will be embarking on a road show to sensitise Lagosians on the Lagos State Emergency Toll Free Line 112/767 as well as do jingles on various media platforms on emergency prevention/mitigation.

Finally, he re-affirmed the commitment governor Akinwunmi Ambode to providing the necessary equipment and support, as well as his Agency’s readiness in the management of emergency/disaster in the state through prompt intervention and extension of its tentacles to all the nooks and crannies of the state.