By Miriam Humbe, Abuja
Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA) Mustapha Habib Ahmed has called on stakeholders to generate and disseminate the right awareness and prepare the public for necessary responses to fire disasters to save lives and safeguard property.
Such stakeholders include the State Emergency Management Agencies, (SEMAs), Local Emergency Management Committees, (LEMCs), all tiers of governments, Fire Services, Health Services, Town Planning authorities, Security Agencies, Rescue Services, Communities, NGOs, CBOs, Schools, Markets, Factories and the media.
In a statement he personally signed on Monday, NEMA’s Director General said that his Agency noted with concern the recurrent fire incidents in the past few days, which had affected some communities and markets.
The NEMA boss said It was on record that the unfortunate incidents had been characterized by complete razing of residential buildings, markets and other public buildings thereby leading to loss of lives and livelihoods.
He said although fire, like any other disaster, had been part of human existence, its frequency and impacts in recent weeks had necessitated a serious concern and call for action by all stakeholders including communities and individuals to address the rising losses from the disaster.
Ahmed said: “In December last year, I had the cause to alert the public on the dangers of fire disasters during the dry season.
“As with the onset of the dry season, the present onset of the rain season is also characterized by typical windstorms that easily propagate combustible matter in form of dry vegetation and agricultural wastes constitute a strong driver to fire outbreaks.”
He said that the best firefighting technique was prevention as the best way to prevent a fire was to create awareness and develop a culture of safety and resilience among authorities, communities and individual members of the public.
Ahmed said: “Effort should aim at measures and procedures for averting fire outbreaks, early detection and timely response to save lives and minimize damage and economic loses.
“All hands must to be on deck to reduce fire disasters and all associated human and material loses across Nigeria and beyond. Government agencies, corporate organizations, private businesses and individuals should endeavour to leverage on insurance companies to safeguard and protect their properties and businesses as a form of risk transfer in case of fire and other unforeseen disaster incidences.
“The main goal of NEMA and its partners is to save lives and properties and no effort and resources committed is too much or too little in this regards.
“While reiterating our collective efforts towards the management of fire disasters in Nigeria, NEMA in the past few weeks has been responded to some of the incidents in providing relief supports to the affected persons.
“Furthermore, I have directed all NEMA Zonal and Operation Offices to work with the State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) to conduct joint assessments in communities affected by the disaster for consideration and supports from the Federal Government.”
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