According to report reaching oyogist.com, Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has asked Nigerians to embrace the right firefighting attitudes as there are going to be more incidents of man-made fire outbreaks as the dry season sets in.
He also advised that more rigorous awareness campaigns on fire safety and prevention should be embarked upon by the Federal Fire Service and its counterpart in the states to enhance the right firefighting attitudes in Nigerians.
Speaking on Thursday at the pulling out parade of the outgone Controller-General, (CG) of the Federal Fire Service, Dr. Ibrahim Liman, in Abuja, the minister said it is very critical for fire services across the nation to intensify advocacy campaign on fire prevention because this is the time of the year that fire accidents occur at a higher rate and most items are combustible due to the hot weather.
He noted that: “Although there are naturally occurring fire accidents, most accidents are man-made, accidentally, negligently or on purpose, (arson), and this can be prevented mostly if there is enough awareness. Nigerians should be made to know the various categories of fire and what the first responders should do before the arrival of the fire officers.”
Aregbesola recalled that the federal government has spent N10.4 billion on fire infrastructure upgrade in 2021 and some of the infrastructure includes 44 firefighting engines, 15 water tankers, 15 rapid intervention fire engines and 20 basic life support ambulances which were distributed across the states.
The minister, while extolling the virtue and legacy of the former CG, said Dr. Liman has brought about unprecedented growth and development as well as a much needed revolution in the service since he took over the mantle of leadership in 2019.
On Liman’s achievements while he was the CG, he said: “it will be on record that the expansion of the service which began in 2015 from the fitful presence in Lagos and Abuja since its inception in 1901 was brought to a head under his tenure, the FFS is proudly now in all the states of the federation.
“Under him, the service established six additional training schools totalling eight, one in each geopolitical zone. The FFS has also procured firefighting vehicles and materials at an unprecedented rate under him and commissioned aerial firefighting equipment which was the first of its kind in Nigeria and has also reduced the fire emergency response time to seven minutes.”
