Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode on Friday, disclosed that the State Safety Commission has been repositioned to improve service delivery and customer relationships as well as address incidences of avoidable deaths, losses and injuries resulting from ignorance.
The Governor, who made the remark at the re-launch of the Lagos State Safety Commission, said the government took the initiative to rebrand and reposition the commission in order to curb incidents of impersonation of the officials and tackle other emerging challenges.
According to the Governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Tunji Bello, “One of the features of this rebranding is the creation of a safety badge of international standard for consultants and staff of the Lagos State Safety Commission who will be the interface between the government and the public.”
He explained that the newly introduced identity badge with the Lagos State logo will go a long way in ensuring that Lagosians are not defrauded by unscrupulous people.
Ambode said that in addition to re-branding the Agency, a Safety Training Institute is also being established to engage in continuous capacity building training of residents towards making safety a lifestyle in the State
He said that initiatives and strategies are being put in place as proactive measures to effectively address new and emerging safety challenges in a mega city like Lagos, stressing that desired objectives will be achieved if all concerned stakeholders play their part and take responsibility for their own safety.
The Governor further disclosed that he will be signing the Lagos State Government Safety Policy as a follow up to re-branding the Agency.
“The policy is aimed at promoting and maintaining positive health and safety culture in our quest to develop sustainable, smart and globally connected knowledge-based communities in a manner that is respectful of laws, cultures, applicable regulations and international best practices”, he stated.
Ambode urged Lagosians to support the newly re-branded Commission in every way possible by giving timely information on activities that could jeopardize the safety of lives and property anywhere in the State.
The Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Seye Oladejo appreciated the strategic vision of Governor Ambode to make Lagos State globally competitive especially with the unprecedented attention to the safety of lives and property of residents.
He described the launch and re-branding of the safety agency as a resolve by the present administration to build a Lagos that is safe, clean and prosperous.
“By re-branding the Safety Commission, we are actualizing the need to imbibe the required paradigm shift from the orthodox strategy of being reactionary to safety issues into a more proactive method of building a safety culture that is well structured with officials who have the right attitude, skills and are well-motivated to deliver the goals of this administration” the Commissioner stated.
The Director-General of the Safety Commission, Hakeem Dickson stressed the need for more awareness among the public about the hazards and risks involved in trivializing safety standards, saying that being safety conscious is cheaper than managing accidents.
