Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has disclosed that the federal government is planning to procure aircraft in the six zonal bases of the Federal Fire Service to combat wildfires, bushfires and other largescale fires requiring aerial attacks.
Aregbesola disclosed this while speaking at the decoration ceremony of the new Controller General of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), Jaji Olola Abdulganiyu, in Abuja.
While urging the new FFS boss to live up to expectations, the minister said the prime challenge of the FFS is on combating wildfires, bushfires and other largescale fires requiring aerial attacks.
He said: “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.”
He also said, henceforth, armed security personnel would be accompanying firefighters to fire scenes to prevent attacks on personnel and equipment by hoodlums.
The minister charged CG Abdulganiyu to take fire advocacy seriously as he begin his tenure as the CG of the FFS, saying the public needed to know more about firefighting and managing emergencies.
“It is very necessary that you include fire advocacy and public enlightenment in the operational services of the FFS. The public needs to know, among others, that the work of the FFS is more than firefighting,” he said.
While reminding the controller general of his duty to preside over human resources to achieve organisational goals, Aregbesola urged him to be on top of his game and act in the best interest of the service.
“The welfare and professional development of the officers and men under your command should therefore be put on the front burner.
“Their emoluments, allowances, promotion, training at home and abroad and other perks should not suffer,” the minister charged him.
The new Controller General of FFS, Abdulganiyu, in his remark, promised to be focused and build on the efforts of his predecessors in the actualisation of the mandate of the service.
