The recent warning by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) against indiscriminate bush burning could not have come at a better time. The admonition is timely in view of the arrival of the harmattan season which often gives rise to setting bushes ablaze as a typical Nigerian’s way of clearing weeds especially around the residential and business premises.
The South-east Coordinator of NEMA, Mr. Wilson Ibarakumo, who gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu, also cautioned against illegal storage of combustible liquid, stressing that doing so was always a recipe for disaster. He especially warned artisans and traders to desist from storing fuel in their shops in anticipation of power outage that could affect their businesses in the festive season.
Ibarakumo said the agency would commence a zonal sensitization programme to enlighten communities on the dangers of indiscriminate or uncontrolled bush burning.
He added, “Today, NEMA is engaged in proactive emergency management and not reactionary form of emergency management.
“So, we are commencing a proactive zonal sensitisation against bush burning in some communities this harmattan period”.
The zonal NEMA boss revealed that the agency would visit major markets, especially timber and building material markets in the zone to enlighten the people on possible fire outbreaks and means of stopping them.
“We are looking at the situation where our people no longer fall victim of fire disasters with a view to reducing the multi-million naira losses recorded yearly through fire disasters in the long run”.
The NEMA boss noted that the agency would also collaborate with relevant agencies and organisations, as well as community leaders on the sensitization programme.
He assured that letters would be sent to the various market leaders to seek their collaboration in educating them on fire disaster prevention and proper ways of handling infernos.
According to him, the agency would also sensitise the people on the need to fix faulty electrical installations, as well as ensure that they switch off all electrical appliances after the day’s business.
Markets in the Southeast, especially those that deal with timber, woods, foam and other highly flammable goods, are prone to yearly fire outbreaks during the harmattan period.
Nigerians have been losing goods and properties running into billions of naira year in year out especially during the dry seasons. No season passes by without major fire outbreaks being recorded in different parts of the country. One of the reasons why infernos rage beyond control in some cases is the way most of our markets are constructed, making access by fire-fighting engines difficult to combat disasters whenever they occur.
Besides faulty electrical wiring and failure to switch off lighting points at the close of the day in the event of power surge, local security operatives light fire to keep themselves warm in the nights and they can be careless most of the time.
Also, farmlands are degraded through bush burning by hunters stalking bush meat. Some local farmers also resort to bush burning as a method of clearing space for the next cropping season. In most cases, the crude technique spirals out of control, resulting in loss of lives and properties from the crude exercise. Invariably, the neighbouring settlements are sucked in by the raging conflagrations. This method of land clearing destroys the soil nutrients and leaves the ground completely barren.
Infernos in market and residential environments during the harmattan periods have become a national phenomenon. The proactive measures being taken by the Southeast zone of the agency should, therefore, be replicated all over the country. Furthermore, the fire services across the states need to carry out enlightenment campaigns on the importance of careful handling of fires and other related activities by Nigerians during and outside the harmattan periods.
There are also instances where water heaters, pressing irons and other electrical appliances are not switched off after power outage while leaving home or retiring to bed at night. This sort of carelessness is exhibited on daily basis, leading to serious consequences. We urge Nigerians to imbibe the culture of safety in this regard as an insurance against (avoidable) calamities.
