Stampedes: Lagos Mandates Charity Organisers To Engage Safety Commission

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Monday, December 23rd, 2024

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Lagos State Government has mandated charity organisers to engage with its safety commission to forestall stampedes.

The state government says it is doing everything to prevent accidents of any form in public places while urging residents to prioritise safety at all times.

At a conference, the Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commission, Lanre Mojola, said the state has been conscious of the safety of the residents in the past years.

Mojola, who identified rushing, negligence, complacency and frustration on the part of the people during the distribution of food items as reasons for stampedes, said that event planners must follow safety rules and residents or anyone who wishes to do charity for people of over 250 must engage the agency.

Also, the state’s Information Commissioner, Gbenga Omotosho, said the move becomes necessary following incidents of stampedes in Oyo, Abuja and Anambra as well as a reported incident of a stage collapse at a beach event in Victoria Island, Lagos.

Omotoso called on event organisers to make adequate preparations for crowd control before embarking on any philanthropic gestures and events to forestall stampedes.

He explained that henceforth, individuals, religious and corporate bodies that wish to hold any form of event in the state must register with the Lagos State Safety Commission or face the full wrath of the law.

He said, “We are here on behalf of the governor to tell Lagosians that he feels concerned about the report of stampedes in some parts of the country and will not want such happening here in Lagos. In Lagos state, we have adequate preparations for every big event and we do so every year. We used to have the Greater Lagos Fiesta, but this year, we added a Boat Regatta and others.

“Unfortunately, we got a report that at Sol Beach Victoria Island, there was a stage collapse during a show and fortunately nobody died in that incident. This has made us say that we do not want the matter to just slide away.

“To prevent such occurrences in Lagos State, all individuals or groups that intend to hold an event or distribute any items at all to large gatherings of people are advised to seek clearance from the Safety Commission.”

“Any act of charity should not turn tragic for our people, so to those who feel that the government is just doing this for nothing and can just gather a crowd and begin distribution of items and huge crowd beefs up and tragic incidents happen, the person will have him or herself to blame,” he added.