LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT REFUNDS 145 FORMER SUBSCRIBERS OF EGAN HOUSING ESTATE
admin Lagos State government has warned prospective event managers to ensure strict compliance to safety measures during the yuletide and beyond.
The government said it is doing everything to prevent accidents in public places, and so urged residents to prioritise safety always.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, during a joint news conference with the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Relations, said the move became necessary following the stampede in some parts of the country, as well as a reported stage collapse at a beach event in Victoria Island.
Omotoso called on event organisers to make adequate preparation for crowd control before embarking on any philanthropic gestures and events to forestall stampedes.
He stressed that henceforth, individuals, religious and corporate bodies that wish to hold any event must register with the Lagos State Safety Commission or face the full wrath of the law.
He said: “We are here on behalf of the governor to tell Lagosians that he feels concerned about the report of stampede in some parts of the country, and will not want such happening here in Lagos. In Lagos State, we have adequate preparations for every big event and we do so every year, we used to have Greater Lagos Fiesta, this year, we added Boat Regatta and others.
“Unfortunately, we got report of a stage collapse at Sol Beach in Victoria Island. Fortunately, nobody died in that incident. And this has made us to say we do not want the matter to just slide away.
“To prevent a recurrence, all individuals or groups that intend to hold an event or distribute any items to large gatherings of people are advised to seek clearance from the Safety Commission.”
Omotoso maintained that the Safety Commission has partnered with security agencies to control crowd, and will also connect individuals and groups to the appropriate agencies for proper operational event management.
“Any charity act should not turn tragic for our people, so to those who feel the government is just doing this for nothing and can just gather a crowd and begin distribution of items and huge crowd beefs up and tragic incidents happen, the person will have him or herself to blame,” he added
Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter- Governmental Relations Gbenga Oyerinde urged residents to be their brother’s keeper by monitoring happenings in their environment. He also enjoined them to call the toll free numbers 767 and 112 in case of emergency.
Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commission Lanre Mojola noted that government has been conscious of the safety of residents in the past years, as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mojola, who identified rushing, negligence, complacency and frustration as reasons for stampedes, urged event planners must follow safety rules, while anyone who wishes to hold charity for more than 250 persons must engage the agency through its website www.lasgsafetyreg.com.
