Safety Arena, the new initiative put in place by the Lagos State government has been receiving commendations by many residents, who have the knowledge of what Bolade-Oshodi area of the metropolis was in the past.
The location, a notorious place of abode to miscreants, daredevil robbers and drug addicts and other men of the underworld has been the target of transformation right from the time of Babatunde Fashola’s administration, but get more attention by the incumbent, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, whose desire for total transformation of Lagos city, is becoming a phenomenal of some sorts.
Commending government for the initiative, Chief Joseph Makinde, a community leader in Bolade expressed satisfaction on how Governor Ambode’s administration is combining safety measures with its urban regeneration programmes.
According to Chief Makinde, in a civilized environment, urban renewal or regeneration always goes hand-in-hand with security measures,” and that is exactly what Governor Ambode is doing and we give him kudo for that”, he said.
Similarly, Alhaja Taibat Adejo, a textile dealer in Oshodi also praised government’s efforts over what she described as “zealous determination” to get rid of unpleasant development in the metropolis.
“We have been witnessing performances by the successive administrations in Lagos. I think Ambode is making a difference, especially, in the area of urban redevelopment and environmental issues,” Alhaja Adejo added.
As a matter of his administration’s policy thrust to ensure the safety of lives and timely response to emergencies, Governor Ambode last week, commissioned the Lagos Safety Arena, a one-stop-shop for security agencies and emergency responders in the state.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony held at the Bolade-Oshodi location of the centre, Governor Ambode said the Safety Arena was government’s response to inter-agency coordination and collaboration for emergency response to facilitate effective Incident Management Systems (IMS).
Ambode was of the conviction that with the movement of the various Agencies into the Safety Arena, adequate preparedness of the ‘first responders’ will not only be assured but will also improve the synergy among the relevant safety agencies. “Besides, the initiative will significantly improve the response time to most safety and emergency issues across the State”, said the Governor, who appealed to security agents to always respect the rights of the citizens even as they go about in enforcing the laws and reducing the crime rate in the state.
“As you settle down into this new facility and help in making our state safe and secure, I want to appeal to you to always respect the rights of the citizens at all time. As government law enforcement agents, the ethics of your profession must be adhered to while you go about your duties”, the governor stated.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-governmental Relations, Oluseye Oladejo said the safety arena will house the security and emergency responders in the state, which includes the Fire Service Department; Environmental Health Department, Lagos State Ambulance Services (LASMBUS), State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU), Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Safety Commission, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) and the Nigerian Legion.
He added that the second phase of the project will accommodate the Vehicle Inspection Service, a dormitory for the Task Force, A Block of Offices for the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (Lagos State Command), Vehicle Maintenance Workshop and a Mini Service Station.
Speaking further, Oladejo said the Ministry has concluded plans to set up a unit for vehicle towing services to remove abandoned and accidental vehicles from our roads.
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