Nigerian Government To Procure Aircraft To Tackle Large-Scale Fire Incidents – Minister

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has said the federal government is planning to procure aircraft in the six zonal bases of the Federal Fire Service to combat large-scale fires requiring aerial attacks.
He disclosed this on Friday while speaking at the decoration ceremony of the new Controller General of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), Jaji Olola Abdulganiyu, in Abuja.

Aregbesola urged the new FSS boss to live up to expectations including combating wildfires, bushfires and other large-scale fires.

He said, “We have initiated an arrangement with the Nigeria Air Force to use their planes to water-bomb 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.”
The minister added that security personnel would be accompanying firefighters to fire scenes to prevent attacks on personnel and equipment by hoodlums.

He charged 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, the minister urged the CG to be on top of his game and act in the best interest of the service.

Aregbsola said. “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.”