Lagos appeals to NCC over 767 emergency number

The Lagos State governor, Mr. Raji Fashola, has appealed to the telecommunications regulator in the country, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over the Lagos State emergency number 767.

Fashola made this appeal in his address to the occasion of 400 days in office of his administration in a session with the Organised Private Sector (OPS).

According to the governor, the appeal has become imperative in the face of recent aid the state has received due to active usage of the Save Our Soul (SOS) number.

He cited an instance of a robbery attack last weekend in Lekki axis of Lagos, of which a good citizen was able to make a call through to the 767 and in matter of 90 seconds, the police anti-robbery team was at the scene and was able to forestall the activities of the underworld men.

“We urge the NCC to allow the number to remain active,” he appealed, noting that though the regulator has noted complicity in SOS number with another special number within the sector.

He also said that already, Lagos State has made representation to the federal government in that regard, and as matter of fact that the issued formed part of the agenda at the recent meeting he held with the Vice President in Abuja last Tuesday.

Fashola further enjoined the citizens and OPS members who have good ideas to make such available to his government, promising to soon make their telephone numbers, especially on the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) platform.

But solicited that whosoever want to communicate with them should endeavour to do that through Short Messaging Service (SMS).

“I would prefer the use of SMS to communicate with members of the Executive Council in this regard,” he asserted.

This, he said, is relevant to note because they also have other state matters to attend to rather than turning to arm-chair telephone operator.

“It is easy to answer calls for the next four years without anything to show for it,” he said.

Lagos State was created on May 27, 1967 by virtue of State through the Creation and Transitional Provisions Decree No. 14, which restructured Nigeria’s Federation into 12 States.

Prior to this, Lagos Municipality had been administered by the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Lagos Affairs as the regional authority, while the Lagos City Council (LCC) governed the City of Lagos.

Equally, the metropolitan areas (Colony Province) of Ikeja, Agege, Mushin, Ikorodu, Epe and Badagry were administered by the Western Region.

The State took off as an administrative entity on April 11, 1968 with Lagos Island serving the dual role of being the State and Federal Capital.

However, with the creation of the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja in 1976, Lagos Island ceased to be the capital of the state which was moved to Ikeja. Equally, with the formal relocation of the seat of the Federal Government to Abuja on December 12, 1991, Lagos ceased to be Nigeria’s political capital.


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