Following the recent tragedy caused by stampedes in the country, the Lagos State government has directed event organisers particularly those distributing food items to residents as a form of palliative to obtain clearance.
Speaking at a joint conference organised by the state’s Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations and Ministry of Information and Strategy at Alausa-Ikeja on Sunday, the state warned prospective event managers in the state to ensure strict compliance with safety measures during the yuletide season and beyond.
According to Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, the decision was imperative given the incidents of stampedes in some parts of the country during palliative sharing.
“We are here on behalf of the governor to tell Lagosians that he (the governor) 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, and this year, we added the 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,” Omotoso stated.
“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.