By Dwelleth Morountodun
Security agencies in the country have been advised to cooperate and work with one another in other to promote peace and ensure adequate security for all Nigerians.
Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, gave the charge while receiving the management of the National Defence College, Abuja, in his office on Friday.
Meanwhile, Aregbesola, has called for the review of the law prohibiting bush burning and the mechanism for its enforcement in Nigeria.
“The law prohibiting the lazy practice of bush burning should be reviewed and made more relevant to the time. This should include the mechanism for its enforcement. I believe strongly that it should be included in the mandate of forest rangers.
The economic loss and environmental damage due to this obnoxious practice are huge and incalculable. An end must come to it.” The Minister said.
On the inter-agency collaboration, he said: “I recognize the role of the Nigerian Armed Forces in promoting peace and ensuring adequate security for all Nigerians.
However, we must ensure all security agencies in the country which include all branches of the Nigeria Military, the Nigeria Police Force and other Paramilitary Security Agencies in the country, must cooperate and see themselves as one and avoid inter-agency rivalry.
“I salute your professionalism and excellence in the discharge of your duties to the nation and keeping Nigeria one,” the minister stated.
The Minister promised he will make himself available as resource person for the college anytime he is called upon.
“As per your request, communicate with my office, anytime you want me to serve as a resource person, I will make myself available for service.”
The minister also urged the College to include senior officers from the Federal Fire Service (FFS) in its training programme.
“Also, kindly include officers of the Federal Fire Service (FFS) in your trainings. They play a critical role in securing lives and property.
Though we haven’t started having huge wide fires like they do in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey amongst others, however, the effect of climate change is beginning to catch up with us, he added.
“We must prepare our officers for the task ahead. It’s only an unwise fellow that would wait to learn from his own experience and not from the experience of others.
Let us join hands in training and building the capacity of our officers to not only acquire the capacity to physically fight wild fires, but to have the managerial know-how on resource management and effective collaboration with other security agencies, like the Nigeria Air Force, who have the capacity – if well equipped – to fight fire with water and suppressant through aerial bombardment,” the Minister noted.
Speaking earlier, the Commandant, National Defence College, Rear Admiral Muritala Bashir, said the visit was necessitated by the need to collaborate with the ministry, especially for the fact that it supervises critical paramilitary agencies.
“We acknowledge and recognize the good works of the Ministry you are leading and the agencies under you have been doing in securing the country.
“I took over the office 3 weeks ago and I know immediately that your ministry is one of the most critical I must engage and brief on our activities. Our aim is to prepare senior officers for operational and strategic leadership in their various agencies of government.
“At the moment, we have three officers selected from the Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigerian Immigration Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, out of the over 200 participants selected from 16 countries participating in Course 30,” Rear Admiral Bashir noted.
While at the pull-out ceremony of the Retired Controller General (CG) of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), Dr. Liman Ibrahim Alhaji at the National Fire Academy, Sheda, Abuja.
According to him, the law prohibiting the lazy practice of bush burning should be reviewed and made more relevant to the time, adding that this should include the mechanism for its enforcement. I believe strongly that it should be included in the mandate of forest rangers.
The economic loss and environmental damage due to this obnoxious practice are huge and incalculable. An end must come to it, he said.
Aregbesola further called the FFS to engage the mass media in educating and sensitizing the public in the prevention and handling of fire incidents.
“It is very critical for the service therefore to intensify its advocacy campaign on fire prevention. This, they say, is better than cure. Though there are naturally occurring fire incidents, but most fire incidents are man-made – accidentally, negligently or on purpose. These can be prevented mostly if there is enough awareness. Nigerians should be made to know the various categories of fire and what the first responders should do before the arrival of fire officers.
“This is the time of the year that fire incidents occur at a higher rate and most items are combustible. The service should therefore engage the mass media to sensitise Nigerians on the need to be careful with handling fire and what to do if there is fire incident. Conscious efforts should be made to publicise your contact details so that Nigerians will have handy sufficient information on how to contact the service in case of fire.
The Minister noted that the biggest challenge of firefighting in Nigeria today is aerial firefighting campaign for bush fires or industrial fires like what was witnessed in a departmental store in Abuja recently, and called on the FFS to intensify efforts at collaborating with other relevant security agencies and other levels of governments in this regard.
“For this, the service should accelerate the rapprochement with the Nigerian Air Force on the use of airplane for bombing wild and large fire with huge packs of suppressants to kill fire from the air,” the Minister stated.
He continued, “I am repeating the call for state governments to invest more in firefighting. It is a critical social service that must not be neglected. The FFS is only complementing state efforts, not to take over their responsibility.”
The Minister congratulated Liman for successfully completing his tenure and etching his name in gold in firefighting and service to the nation and mankind by his notable contributions in the expansion of the Federal Fire Service.
He therefore urged the Acting Comptroller General and the management of the Service to build on his achievements to make FFS the best in the African continent.
Earlier in his valedictory speech, Liman who was visibly delighted as he recalled his progression during his firefighting career thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for giving him the opportunity to serve as he encouraged the officers and men of the service to aspire to be the best firefighting service in Africa.