Chief (Mrs.) Monisade Afuye, Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, has assured that the partnership between the State and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) will enhance efficiency in disaster management operations and strengthen regional integration in the Southwest region.
The Deputy Governor, while commending Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s commitment to excellence and for facilitating the collaboration, highlighted that the initiative will play a crucial role in safeguarding the lives and property of the people through an effective peer review mechanism between the two states.
Chief Afuye made these remarks in Ado Ekiti on Friday while hosting some experts from LASEMA, who visited the state as a follow-up to the engagement with Governor Oyebanji in Lagos last week.
Addressing the visitors, Chief Afuye, in a statement by her Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje, commended the experts from LASEMA for conducting a wide range of surveys on how to best manage disasters in Ekiti across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of government.
The Deputy Governor stated that the government of Governor Oyebanji had done exceedingly well in palliating the sufferings of disaster victims, in spite of paucity of funds in the state.
She added further that the collaboration with Lagos further buttressed the level of development the state has made in the country, thereby making it a “Centre of Excellence” in terms of delivery of good governance.
“In his determination to safeguard the lives and property of Ekiti people, while at the same time ensure a secured and conducive environment for their daily endeavours, Governor Oyebanji visited LASEMA to seek partnership with the state.
“This is in the spirit of regional integration existing in the Southwest states. It is also in acknowledgement of Lagos, living up to its name as the Centre of Excellence.
” Our Governor decided to seek the partnership so that Ekiti can learn from its expertise and mode of operations in the area of emergency prevention and management.
“I have seen your programme and itinerary of engagement as well as interactions with stakeholders, I appeal to your team to make this visit and partnership worthwhile for Ekiti State by putting us through all we are expected to know and do in disaster prevention and management”.
The Deputy Governor added that Ekiti might not have the stupendous funds that are available to Lagos, but promised that the government will put up the best structures that will guarantee robust disaster management that can safeguard the lives and property of the people.
Princess Tolani Martins, the team lead of the technical crew of LASEMA, in her remarks expressed confidence that the partnership would significantly enhance disaster prevention and management between the two states once fully operational.
The LASEMA boss praised Governor Oyebanji for his commitment to knowledge and good governance for the people of Ekiti, citing these as driving forces behind the governor’s pursuit of the initiative.
Martins added that it has conducted survey around government’s MDAS and other strategic strata, promising that robust report will soon be turned in that will guide the state in effective disaster management mechanism.
She averred further that each state can only make a headway in disaster management based on its peculiarities, saying that accounted for why the experts were brought into Ekiti for indepth survey that will help in mapping out the best strategy for Ekiti.