Eweoya, safety expert, trains children on safety

Oluwole Benjamin Eweoya, a safety expert and convener of Forwarders Group, a developmental group focused on developing the society, is presently on a safety training tour of schools in Lagos. Speaking during a safety training session at and safety kits presentation to Ewutuntun Grammar School, Oshodi, Lagos, he said the tour became a necessity because people are ignorant of the hazards around them so it’s better to teach children to be safety aware so that it becomes second nature to them when they grow up. Regarding the recent water disasters and constant fire incidents that lead to loss of lives in Lagos and all over the nation, he said, “Basically, the major thing that leads to disasters is ignorance. Many people are unaware of hazards around them. Even though some people may be aware, they take things for granted. So, our consciousness, what we call behavioural safety, needs to be encouraged in this society. As we walk around, as we live our daily lives, we need to be conscious of the hazards around us. And we must take precautions to avoid accidents that could cause injuries and in some situations lead to death. So if children are beginning to get the awareness of safety from childhood, as they grow up, it becomes part and parcel of them, and it becomes second nature.” Speaking further, he said, “Ewutuntun Grammer School is the third school in this local government that we’ve trained on safety and presented safety kits to. We intend to go beyond this local government, but because I benefitted from this local government, where I was born and bred, Oshodi Local Government Area to be precise, and charity they say begins at home, that’s why I’m starting from Oshodi. We’ve done Mafoluku Grammar School, Ikeja Grammar School and Ewutuntun Grammar School and now we’re proceeding to other schools in the local government. If we can’t make them this academic session, next session we’ll proceed.” And on if his safety training initiative of children is just a Lagos thing, he said, “Well, given the opportunity, we’ll do nationwide. And for us to do nationwide, you know it’s gonna be capital intensive. I’ve a few people who have volunteered to be part of this sensitization, but at the same time, we’ll call on some of the agencies to work with us.” Concluding, he agreed that school children might become better aware of safety if it was included in their curriculum. “Yes, fantastic, it’ll be a good idea to have safety in the academic curriculum. If you have it in their curriculum, as one of the subjects they will be learning in school, to a large extent, it’ll help them in the formation of their personalities. But pending when that will happen, we will keep training and sensitizing them on safety.”