Lagos State Government has activated sensitisation advocacy among the Market Leaders towards ensuring safety and prevention of fire outbreak ahead of the yuletide season.
The state through the Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, collaborated with the Lagos State Safety Commission and Lagos Fire and Rescue Services to flag off the programme.
While addressing the large population of market men and women at Balogun Market on precautionary measures against fire outbreak in the marketplace, the Director General, Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr Lanre Mojola said that it is important to revisit the yearly campaign because people can be forgetful and event of such would remind them of their responsibility to prevent fire disaster.
Mojola charged the market communities in Lagos to keep away all inflammable items that can trigger fire outbreak around the market environment, stressing that most of the fire incidents are preventable when necessary proactive approach is adopted.
He hinted that in case of any emergency, people must find the exit points before calling appropriate quarters with Lagos State Emergency toll free lines on 767 or 112 among other available platforms put in place by the state government.
“There is need for all our market men and women to know that when it come to issue of fire, everyone must be safety conscious because fire is not a friend to anyone and that is why we need to sensitize our market men and women not to risk their lives and avoid anything that could cause fire outbreak in their various markets as well the Lagos state. This campaign is a pointer to the love that Mr Governor has for the market men and women and to use this moment to remind them that he holds them in high esteem and would guide against any form of disaster to befall them. And that is why we are reaching out to them, to inform them to do the needful around market environment and be cautious of anyone or group of people that can breach protocols which can lead to disaster.”
“They must make sure all combustible materials like paper, rubber and wood are removed and they should desist from leaving clothing iron in the electrical socket, refueling of generator while the machine is still on or overloading of electrical circuits and using of camp gas or cylinder within their market, among others, should be avoided”. Mojola said.
He therefore advised the general public to key into preventive measures as they prepare towards the yuletide celebration as he restated the commitment of the state towards protection of every citizens of Lagos during and after the yuletide seasons.
Save Your life
The Director, Lagos Fire and Rescue Services, Mrs Adeseye Margaret said, that state Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu is passionate about their wellbeing and will stop at nothing to shield them from any form of harm that can jeopardize their lives and property.
The Director, who was represented by an official of the agency, Mrs Alelamole Abiola, advised the market men and women to consider their own lives while transacting daily businesses and ensure they adhere to all necessary preventive measures as well as heed to information about safety around the marketplace.
Margaret who held a practical training on how to prevent fire outbreak to the delight of the market people said that the safety tips become imperative to prevent fire disasters and allow them imbibe safety consciousness in their market and other public spaces during the forthcoming yuletide season.
According to her “We are here to converse for the economic development of the State, we do not want incessant fire outbreaks in our markets and we know that all these fire outbreaks come as a result of our peoples negligence and carelessness.
Our people should be careful in handling fire because any mishandling can lead to disaster, all electrical appliances should be put off before locking up for the day, indiscriminate of burning activities should not be allowed.”
She also called for cooperation among the market operators and fire service department so that markets would be safe and the state will achieve a zero fire outbreak incidence.
The sensitisation programme is expected to take the agencies to various markets across the state and the advocacy will run till Friday 24th of November, 2024.
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