The Lagos State Government on Tuesday met with owners and Chief Executive Officers of Lounge, hospitality and entertainment facilities in the State and agreed on friendly and safe operations through the yuletide period and beyond in other to prevent avoidable accidents and chaotic situations.
The meeting which was a stakeholders parley was jointly presided over by the Director General, Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr. Lanre Mojola and General Manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, (LASEPA), Dr. Dolapo Fasawe.
The event which took place at the Eko Hotels was to sensitize the business owners who plan to host or organize event, particularly during the yuletide period to consider the environment and safety of the people by obtaining necessary permits from the State Government.
According to the DG Safety Commission, the meeting became necessary considering the rate of reports of safety and pollution infractions received by the agencies in recent time, which according to him, must be properly addressed.
He listed the mandatory safety checks needed for a hitch-free event to include: Fire safety prevention measures, deployment of Certified Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) personnel ( grounded in first aid and CPR application), professional handling of chemicals and hazardous materials, use of Protective Personal Equipment when on duty (PPE), overcrowding and provision of multiple exits , adequate security, installation of informative signage to guide visitors and engagement of only licensed food handlers to prevent food poisoning
The DG noted: “We have the approval of Mr. Governor to ensure that any event above 250 crowd should be registered with us, while above 500, must not only register, but have on ground, our trained safety marshals and other relevant sister agencies to monitor, coordinate and prevent unseen situations. Obtaining approval for noise permit is sacrosanct to issuance of our safety certificate. He reaffirmed.”
On her part, General Manager (LASEPA), Dr Dolapo Fasawe urged Lagosians to comply with environmental laws guiding the conduct of every resident of the State.
“We can Merry without making noise and be a good neighbour and respect the right of others to a peaceful environment, particularly, within our communities. In as much as we cannot isolate the metropolitan city from social activities, hence the need to regulate our activities for a peaceful coexistence and harmonious working relationship. Government is not unmindful of the peculiarity of this season to your sector and that is why we are taking this step to ensure it is a win-win situation for us all,” Fasawe averred
The LASEPA boss, therefore, expressed satisfaction with some of the facilities that have yielded to the advice of the agency towards controlling and managing their sound and urged them to be more involved in activities within their host community.
She noted that the noise permit issued by the Government is discretionally approved with due consideration to the event, environment, duration and its time bound, stressing that failure to comply with stated guidelines attracts fines, sealing and prosecution.
She expressed further that her agency will continue to pay undivided attention and monitor all environmental-related facilities across the State to ensure compliance from recalcitrant organizations while also prevailing on the public to support the business dreams of the operators and continue to promote peaceful co-existence in the state.
