The Lagos State Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Government Relations, Tayo Bamgbose-Martins, has pledged to improve on emergency response in the state.
Bamgbose-Martins made the pledge during a ministerial briefing where he gave an account of the ministry’s achievement to commemorate the first anniversary of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
According to the Commissioner, the ministry over the year focused on safety management, emergency management, security enhancement, capacity development and COVID-19 response.
He said, “The Ministry promoted safety in the state through sensitisation and training programmes, promptly responded to road, fire and building emergency incidents.
“Nine hundred suspects were arrested during the period and all suspects were handed over to the police and relevant agencies for prosecution. We provided support for the National Youth Service Corps members and training of the neighbourhood watch officers.
“Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, we sensitised the public and distributed palliatives to limit the spread of the pandemic.
“Going forward, the ministry will sustain the momentum to improve safety and emergency response in the state for the next three years. We will improve on surveillance and intelligence gathering by expanding the community policing initiative.
“We will recruit, equip and train an additional 5,000 officers into the neighbourhood watch to complement the existing 5,700 officers. We will improve engagement with the CDAs and community leaders to promote security awareness and other preventive measures.”
