Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has said President Muhammadu Buhari’s investment in the Federal Fire Service (FFS) since he came to power in 2015 is more than whatever has been put into it since its establishment in 1901.
The Minister, however tasked the new Controller General of the FFS Jaji Olola Abdulganiyu to strive to achieve more than his predecessors.
Speaking at the decoration ceremony of the newly appointed FFS boss, Thursday in Abuja, Aregbesola said in 2021 alone, Last year, 17 firefighting officers were sent to Belarus for advanced trainer-training course, adding that these officers are the master trainers that are now training other officers on modern firefighting, disaster and emergency management.
“The attention and resources devoted by the Buhari administration into FFS since 2015 is more than whatever has been put into it since its establishment in 1901. This is reflected also in the performance of the service.
“It is not surprising therefore that last year, the FFS responded to 2,845 SOS distress-calls in which it was able to save 587 lives, rescue 260 persons and save property worth N18.9 trillion.
This is the legacy the new CG will be inheriting and you are required to take it a notch higher.
“When the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration was inaugurated in 2015, the service was only fitfully represented in Abuja and Lagos with two functioning fire engines. But the FFS is represented in all the states of the federation now with state of the art fire fighting and disaster management infrastructure.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has taken special interest in the Ministry of Interior and has supported our agencies, including FFS, enabling us to retool and re-kit, positioning the agencies as foremost institutions. I thank him most sincerely for this.
As a result of this, the Federal Government provided 106 modern firefighting trucks to the FFS. Last year, the Federal Government also provided N10.4 billion infrastructure upgrade comprising of 44 firefighting engines, 15 water tankers, 15 rapid intervention fire engines and 20 basic life support ambulances.”
While urging the new FFS boss to live up to the expectations, the former state of Osun governor said: “The prime challenge of the FFS is on combating wildfires, bushfires and other largescale fires requiring aerial attacks.
“We have initiated an arrangement with the Nigeria Airforce to use their planes to waterbomb fires of that nature from the air. It is my sincere hope that you will see this through. Our projection is to have our own aircraft in the six zonal bases.
“You are also presiding over human resources to achieve organisational goals. This presents its own challenges. Where you give orders and the subordinates unquestionably but gladly follow without robust resistance, the leader must be sure he is making the right call. You should therefore be on top of your game and act in the best interest of the service. This requires putting service above self.
“The welfare and professional development of the officers and men under your command should therefore be put in the front burner. Their emoluments, allowances, promotion, training at home and abroad and other perks should not suffer. Your job becomes easier when your staff are motivated.
“It is very necessary that you include fire advocacy and public enlightenment in the operational services of the FFS. We did a bit of this across the country last year. We shall hopefully continue where we left off. The public needs to know, among others, that the work of the FFS is more than firefighting.
“It includes all kinds of disaster management like rescuing drowning persons, those trapped inside collapsed structures, those that fell into pits and those in danger requiring non-armed rescue. Let the public know the array of critical lifesaving services you render.”
The minister urged Olola Abdulganiyu to collaborate with and cultivate a good working relationship with sister security agencies – military, paramilitary and civil services in the course of national service, saying no agency can or afford to go alone.
