RAINSTORM: LAGOS ASSEMBLY GIVES LIFE JACKETS TO AFFECTED COMMUNITIES

Ikeja - The Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday gave out 40 life jackets to victims of the Feb. 13 rainstorm in Ojota and Origele communities in Ojo Local Government area of the state.

Making the presentation in Ikeja, Mr Bisi Yusuf, the Chairman, House Committee on Transportation, Commerce and Industry, said that the life jackets were donated to save the residents in case of future occurrence.

''Lagos State Government sympathises with the communities where the unfortunate incident happened; we pray that such calamity would not happen again.''

Yusuf, however, advised the residents of Ojota and Origele to make use of the life jackets when necessary, adding that stiff penalty would be meted out to anybody who refused to use them.

In his remark, Mr Yinka Marinho, the Managing Director, Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), said that the authority would not hesitate to arrest and prosecute anyone operating on the waterways without life jacket.

He disclosed that a boat operator carrying 10 under age school children without life jackets was arrested at Sabokoji Jetty, Apapa by Marine Police.

He also warned the communities not to travel on water after 6 p.m.

Marinho said that the government would add more jetties to the existing 48 in the state.

Meanwhile, Chief Amisu Lakisan, the Baale of Ojota community, who lost his wife in the boat mishap, thanked the state government for the gesture, promising to put the jackets into good use.

Lakisan implored the government to provide basic amenities such as pipe borne water, good roads and rural electrification in the riverine communities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that 14 people were feared aired dead in a boat mishap on Feb. 13 at Agbede, a riverine community in Ojo Local Government area of the state. (NAN)