Mufutau Egberongbe

Eromosele Ebhomele

A former lawmaker in Lagos State, western Nigeria, Mufutau Egberongbe, has said that the a recent simulation exercise by the state government actually assisted rescue efforts in the Bristow Helicopter crash that occurred recently in the state.

All passengers and crew members, 11 in all, survived the helicopter crash that occurred in the Oworonsoki area of Lagos.

Egberongbe, who is the current Special Adviser to Speaker Mudashiru Obasa on Political Affairs, commended the state government for carrying out the simulation exercise just days before the helicopter crash.

He also commended other private institutions for assisting in the rescue operation when the crash occurred.

“Honestly, when I heard the news, I thought it was a misrepresentation again because some weeks back, there was a simulation exercise on how to arrest crashes like this.

“But eventually we came to know that it is real this time. We thank God no life was lost. We want to commend the Lagos State government for being proactive. The primary responsibility of government is the protection of lives and properties and this the state has demonstrated.

“I want to make a clarion call to the governor to continue the simulation exercise, maybe on a quarterly basis. Don’t forget that the issue of safety of this nature is relatively new to our body polity as a nation.

“By the time we constantly engage in the practice it will make us alert and help us with more innovations on rescue efforts.

“I want to pray that the model that was used in arresting the situation, where private hands and others came to assist, should be adopted as a standard model to be built on,” he said.

Egberongbe further said the state government had been vindicated in the procurement of three helicopters for rescue, security and traffic management.

“You can see the serious use to which the helicopters have been put by the state government. We should just make sure that such mechanisms are well serviced and maintained and this has proven that we can make it if we are serious as a country.

“Obviously, other states should learn the search and rescue mission of Lagos State so that proper emergency responses would help save lives,” he added.