The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola on
Monday inaugurated a Tribunal of Enquiry into the December 26, 2012
fire and explosion incidents at the Giwa and Okoya areas of Lagos Island
saying the inauguration represented the commitment of Government to the
protection of life and property of citizens of the State.
The three-member Tribunal, headed by retired Justice Sunday Oladokun
Ishola, is to, among other terms of reference, inquire into the remote
and immediate causes of the fire incident which occurred when fireworks
allegedly stored in a building at No. 45 Ojo-Giwa Street, Idumota,
Lagos, exploded causing fire outbreak and destroying life and property
of residents and traders in the area at the Jankara Market.
In his remarks after the inauguration at the Banquet Hall of the Lagos House, Alausa, Governor Fashola said in spite of the inevitability of accidents which, according to him “is a concomitant development of human interaction”, the first responsibility of Government is first to minimize the accidents by increasing awareness of the people about safety.
“That is why we set up a Safety Commission to prescribe safety guidelines across sectors and also to ensure that the response capacity when the inevitable accident happens is adequate”, the Governor said adding that because of the population density of the affected area, the impact of the fire was very severe.
Giving the Tribunal three months within which to complete their inquiries, Governor Fashola, who declared that his administration would never be at ease whenever lives and properties of citizens are threatened or lost, told the members, “We hope that the report of your enquiry will explain more to us about what more we should do. Why this kind of substances got here in any event and why it got into residential areas in the second instance”.
“We hope that your report will also be able to reveal why, in spite of the notorious difficulties that are associated with our ports, lawful items are much more difficult to clear than prohibited items; because those things came into the ports in December, in good time for the purpose and I know quite a number of businessmen who have not got their legitimate goods out till today”, the Governor said.
The Governor, who noted that the December fire incident was the second of such incident in the same area, also expressed the hope that the report of the Tribunal would assist Government “in formulating policies that will deepen and strengthen our capacity to prevent a reoccurrence”, adding, “Clearly, we want to ensure that the lessons of these two incidents are made enduring and beneficial for the future”.
He said Government also, “hopes to see recommendations and information about whether any person or a group of persons have breached the law in order to ensure that the Office of the Attorney- General is able to bring such kind of people to justice in a very expeditious manner that shows the willingness of Government to protect its citizens and enforce the laws”.
Thanking those he described as the first responders – the Police, the Fire Service, the State’s Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), and others – who played one role or the other in putting out the fire and rescue operations, Governor Fashola expressed the hope that members of the public would respond by providing evidence wherever the need arises “so that we will be able to shed more light on how we came to that unfortunate incident”.
“So much work has gone on since the incident; putting out the fire, helping the traders whose goods and livelihoods were affected to recover their goods in a manner that did not jeopardize their lives and also assessing the structural stability of the affected buildings”, the Governor said, citing the Breadfruit Church as example of such properties which were severely affected by the fire.
According to him, “The report that we have at the moment queries the structural stability of that building and the necessity to keep it as it is. So this is an issue which our engineers and the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development are communicating with the Church about, in our view, the necessity to start all over again to rebuild that church in order to ensure the safety of life and property”.
Earlier, in his introductory remarks, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaiye, stated other terms of reference of the Tribunal to include, establishing and reviewing the legal framework for the importation, distribution and sale of fireworks in Lagos State, and to investigate and report on the use of premises, whether private or commercial, for the storage and sale of explosives or combustible materials and make appropriate recommendations to Government.
Others are to review the adequacy or otherwise of the laws and regulations applicable to the storage, handling and sale of explosives or combustible materials and to make such other recommendations as may be considered necessary to avoid a recurrence of such fire incidents, promote safe practices and adherence to safety standards in the handling of explosive or combustible materials.
In his acceptance remarks on behalf of the Tribunal, its Chairman, Justice Ishola, (rtd.), thanked the State Government for the opportunity given the members to serve the people of Lagos State in that capacity pledging that the Tribunal would diligently carry out its assignment within the time frame allotted to it.
He, however, appealed, “In the discharge of our duties, we seek the support of all peoples concerned to make detailed reports and revelations to us to make our task easier and enable us conclude the assignment within the time frame set by the Government”.
Other members of the Tribunal are Olokunola Olatunde Wasiu, a Special Adviser in the Office of Infrastructure and Asset Management of Lagos State and Richard Ahonaruogho, a former coordinating secretary of the Committee of Chairmen and Secretaries of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and founding secretary of its Section on Legal Practice (SLP) while Olubunmi Victoria Fagbayi, the Chief State Counsel (DLD) serves as Secretary to the Tribunal.
Members
of the Tribunal of Inquiry on Fire and Explosion Incidents at Giwa and
Okoya Areas of Lagos Island, Chairman, Justice Sunday Oladokun Ishola
(right), Members, Olokunola Olatunde Wasiu (middle) and Richard
Ahonaruogho during the inauguration at the Lagos House, Ikeja on Monday,
February 18, 2013.
In his remarks after the inauguration at the Banquet Hall of the Lagos House, Alausa, Governor Fashola said in spite of the inevitability of accidents which, according to him “is a concomitant development of human interaction”, the first responsibility of Government is first to minimize the accidents by increasing awareness of the people about safety.
“That is why we set up a Safety Commission to prescribe safety guidelines across sectors and also to ensure that the response capacity when the inevitable accident happens is adequate”, the Governor said adding that because of the population density of the affected area, the impact of the fire was very severe.
Giving the Tribunal three months within which to complete their inquiries, Governor Fashola, who declared that his administration would never be at ease whenever lives and properties of citizens are threatened or lost, told the members, “We hope that the report of your enquiry will explain more to us about what more we should do. Why this kind of substances got here in any event and why it got into residential areas in the second instance”.
“We hope that your report will also be able to reveal why, in spite of the notorious difficulties that are associated with our ports, lawful items are much more difficult to clear than prohibited items; because those things came into the ports in December, in good time for the purpose and I know quite a number of businessmen who have not got their legitimate goods out till today”, the Governor said.
The Governor, who noted that the December fire incident was the second of such incident in the same area, also expressed the hope that the report of the Tribunal would assist Government “in formulating policies that will deepen and strengthen our capacity to prevent a reoccurrence”, adding, “Clearly, we want to ensure that the lessons of these two incidents are made enduring and beneficial for the future”.
He said Government also, “hopes to see recommendations and information about whether any person or a group of persons have breached the law in order to ensure that the Office of the Attorney- General is able to bring such kind of people to justice in a very expeditious manner that shows the willingness of Government to protect its citizens and enforce the laws”.
Thanking those he described as the first responders – the Police, the Fire Service, the State’s Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), and others – who played one role or the other in putting out the fire and rescue operations, Governor Fashola expressed the hope that members of the public would respond by providing evidence wherever the need arises “so that we will be able to shed more light on how we came to that unfortunate incident”.
“So much work has gone on since the incident; putting out the fire, helping the traders whose goods and livelihoods were affected to recover their goods in a manner that did not jeopardize their lives and also assessing the structural stability of the affected buildings”, the Governor said, citing the Breadfruit Church as example of such properties which were severely affected by the fire.
According to him, “The report that we have at the moment queries the structural stability of that building and the necessity to keep it as it is. So this is an issue which our engineers and the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development are communicating with the Church about, in our view, the necessity to start all over again to rebuild that church in order to ensure the safety of life and property”.
Earlier, in his introductory remarks, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaiye, stated other terms of reference of the Tribunal to include, establishing and reviewing the legal framework for the importation, distribution and sale of fireworks in Lagos State, and to investigate and report on the use of premises, whether private or commercial, for the storage and sale of explosives or combustible materials and make appropriate recommendations to Government.
Others are to review the adequacy or otherwise of the laws and regulations applicable to the storage, handling and sale of explosives or combustible materials and to make such other recommendations as may be considered necessary to avoid a recurrence of such fire incidents, promote safe practices and adherence to safety standards in the handling of explosive or combustible materials.
In his acceptance remarks on behalf of the Tribunal, its Chairman, Justice Ishola, (rtd.), thanked the State Government for the opportunity given the members to serve the people of Lagos State in that capacity pledging that the Tribunal would diligently carry out its assignment within the time frame allotted to it.
He, however, appealed, “In the discharge of our duties, we seek the support of all peoples concerned to make detailed reports and revelations to us to make our task easier and enable us conclude the assignment within the time frame set by the Government”.
Other members of the Tribunal are Olokunola Olatunde Wasiu, a Special Adviser in the Office of Infrastructure and Asset Management of Lagos State and Richard Ahonaruogho, a former coordinating secretary of the Committee of Chairmen and Secretaries of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and founding secretary of its Section on Legal Practice (SLP) while Olubunmi Victoria Fagbayi, the Chief State Counsel (DLD) serves as Secretary to the Tribunal.
No comments:
Post a Comment