Residents in the 13 local government areas of Nasarawa State reportedly lost property worth N6.5 billion to fire disasters in the last one year.
The State Controller of the Federal Fire Service, Eno Nwachukwu-Kelechi, made the disclosure during the commencement of the agency’s Fire Week Awareness Campaign Programme in Lafia, the state capital on Tuesday.
According to her, apart from the property lost through several fire disasters in the state, the FFS was able to save property worth N15 billion across the state within the year under review.
Nwachukwu-Kelechi noted that the awareness campaign was significant because it would help the residents of the state to understand how to prevent fire occurrences at all times and also to educate the physically and mentally challenged persons on how to help themselves during emergencies.
She further explained that the fire week was designed to cushion the effects of fire outbreaks during the harmattan period due to the harshness of the weather.
She said, “The estimated worth of properties lost is about N6.5bn, while the estimated worth of properties saved is about N15bn.
“The harmattan season is said to be a season of fire outbreaks because of the nature of the wind blowing from the Sahara desert. This is the period where in most parts of the world, the highest number of fire outbreaks are recorded.”
The State Controller of the FFS, therefore said that, “the fire week programme is not only designed to create awareness but also to demonstrate the Agency’s readiness and dedication towards the fight to reduce fire outbreaks to the lowest minimum in the state.”
While noting that a total of 127 fire calls were responded to within the year under review, she thanked the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Jaji Abdulganiyu, for all the encouragement and support he has been giving to the Nasarawa State command to deliver on its mandate.
“To enhance fire safety awareness in Nasarawa State simply means to create more fire safety awareness and publicity, identifying fire threats and analyzing possible risks to fire outbreak in the state.
“Nevertheless, our priorities here in the state is to ensure that we approach every risk identified with professionalism in order to enable everyone in the state to abide with the culture of safety lifestyle, and an environment free from fire and other related disasters,” she added.
On his part, the Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police, Umar Nadada, who was represented by ACP Abdulazeez Aliyu commended the personnel of the Federal Fire Service for their efforts in combating fire across the 13 LGAs of the state, while urging them to improve on their responses to fire calls especially during harmattan.
Our correspondent reports that representatives of the Nasarawa State Fire Service, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security And Civil Defense Corps, Nigerian Correctional Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and Nasarawa State Traditional Rulers Council, among others graced the occasion.
