EXCLUSIVE: Lagos Commissioner for Special Duties Chase NEMA Personnel from Collapsed Building Site

WALE AHMED

Drama ensued today at the scene of the building collapse in Ishaga, Surulere, Lagos, which killed five people including a 13year old bread seller, when the commissioner for special duties Wale Ahmed, stormed the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and allegedly asked the personnel of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to leave the rescue operations for the primary responders which are the state Emergency Committee. 

This face- off is coming at the heels of yet another fracas between the Commander RRS,  CSP Akeem Odumosu and NEMA spokesperson, Farinloye, thereby giving the illusion that the agency are not welcome in emergency situations.

Odumosu had arrested Farinloye at the scene of the building collapse in Ebute Meta two weeks ago and detained him at the Lion Building Police Station despite entreaties from other rescue operators.

However, speaking to journalists at the site yesterday, Ahmed debunked allegations that he forced NEMA personnel away, stressing that NEMA would always be a secondary responder while the state government owned emergency agency will be the primary responder.

He said, "I did not chase them out and I am not even aware if anyone did. But to put the facts straight, NEMA is a secondary responder. In any state where you have state emergency management committee, it is that committee that is primary responder. 

"It is the state that will call NEMA if we need their assistance or if the situation is beyond our control. We did not ask NEMA to leave. We are all working together but they are secondary responders unlike the state emergency committee which is the primary responder in the state."

But when contacted, the NEMA maintained that they were chased out of the rescue operation, adding that "We were chased out of the rescue site by the commissioner for special duties after we had rescued three persons alive and four dead.

"He said he would ask his people to deal with us if we are not careful so we left the site peacefully as their equipment arrived. We alongside some volunteers had already executed majority of the rescue before they came to the site and asked us to leave."