To mitigate the flooding prediction by Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMET), the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, has said that collaboration between the state government and local councils is critical to preventing and managing emergencies as well as halting mortalities from emergency incidents.

Speaking yesterday at a stakeholders’ meeting between LASEMA and local council representatives from Lagos West Senatorial District, Oke-Osanyintolu said the state government’s huge investment in emergency management would not yield the desired result without collaboration and commitment from the local councils.

He, therefore, said the state government through LASEMA is ready to train people at the local councils to ensure the collaboration between the state and local councils on emergency management is strategic and effective.

He also said the state and the local councils need to partner as part of efforts to take the bull by the horn, as there have been a lot of predictions around flooding for the state.

“We have been informed that the state is very vulnerable to flooding. Mortalities were recorded in some parts of the state last year so ours is to be prepared.

“So, we have been deliberating and sensitising the people to get them prepared and we would partner with them to ensure safety and security of property. “

We have to work at it together,” he said.

According to the LASEMA boss, residents and stakeholders should imagine if the state had to grapple with the full magnitude of the aircraft that crashed on Tuesday considering there was a gas pipeline and petrol filling station close to the point of the disaster.

“We could have recorded mortalities in that area. This is why the local emergency management committee should be in place for quick, efficient and effective emergency management,” he stressed.

On his part, the Chairman of Ojokoro Local Council Development Area, Ahmed Idowu Tijani, said that many residents were in the habit of dumping waste in drainages but the local councils have been having challenges prosecuting such offenders because customary courts were barred from prosecuting environmental law offenders.

He, therefore, urged the state government to re-empower the customary courts to prosecute environmental law offenders.