By Edwin Philip
Residents across the 13 Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State have reportedly lost properties worth N6.5 billion to fire disaster within the past one year.
The State Controller of the Federal Fire Service, Eno Nwachukwu-Kelechi made the disclosure during the Flag off of the Agency’s Fire Week Awareness Campaign Programme, in Lafia, the state capital on Tuesday.
According to the Federal Fire Officer in charge of Nasarawa State, apart from the properties lost through several fire disaster in the state, the FFS was able to save properties worth N15 billion across the state within the year under review.
Nwachukwu-Kelechi noted that the awareness campaign programme 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 emergency situations.
She added that the fire week was designed to create awareness on 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 Six Billion, Five Hundred Million Naira Only, while the estimated worth of properties saved is about Fifteen Billion Naira Only.
“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 part of the world, the highest number of fire outbreaks are recorded.”
The State Controller of the FFS, therefore said 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, Kelechi expressed her gratitude to the Comptroller General of the Federal Fire Service, Jaji Abdulganiyu for all the encouragements 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.
The Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police, Umar Nadada who was represented by ACP Abdulazeez Aliyu at the occasion commended the personnel of the Federal Fire Service for their numerous efforts in combating fire disaster across the 13 LGAs of the State, while urging them to improve on their responses to fire calls especially during this season of harmattan.