By Henry Ibya, Makurdi
Benue State Governor Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia has called on security organizations such as the Police, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, the Department of State Service, DSS, Federal Fire Service and the military as well as non-governmental organizations, NGOs, and other stakeholders to collaborate with the state government to ensure that objectives of Nigeria Fire Extinguisher Sticker, NFES, project is achieved.
The governor who made the call at the weekend during the flag-off ceremony of the project in Makurdi, the state capital, explained that the project is aimed at distributing fire extinguishers and enforcement of its usage in homes and public places across the state, adding that it is equally meant to control fire disaster as well as ensure prompt response to cases of fire outbreaks.
Governor Alia represented by Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Prof Joseph Alakali, further disclosed that the project which involves provision for servicing of the extinguishers, said it is part of government’s efforts to not only ensure safety, but to generate revenue and stated that the project would guarantee about 10,000 ad-hoc jobs to youths of the state.
He equally revealed that the project would control failure of fire extinguishers at the point of usage, facilitate arrest and prosecution of fake and wicked servicing vendors who fill fire extinguisher cylinders with cassava flour, a development that increases the volume of fire during disaster at most critical point of usage, pointing out that the move would prevent the use of fire extinguisher cylinders for drug trafficking, terrorism and other criminal activities.
Governor Alia who described the NFES project as another rebirth of the state fire service towards effective fire prevention, response and investigation, maintained that the repositioning would boost performance and deepen public participation in the state security and public safety.
“The society today has a lot of fake electronics, electric cables, low quality cooking gas cylinders as well as a lot of other fake products including fire extinguishers” the governor pointed out, adding that this fake or original products could be difficult to distinguish from in the market.
Governor Alia who said it was in fulfilment of his campaign promises to provide practical solutions to ensure safety of living that his administration is the first to launch the NFES project, expressed appreciation to the federal executive council for approving the project, assuring youths in the state who would be engaged as ad-hoc staff in the first phase of the project of government support and protection as they carry out their duties.
In a remark National coordinator of the project Benson Olatunji, who spoke on behalf of concessionaire and N-alert Technical Partners said the objective of the programme is to sensitize the public on the importance of the multiple uses of fire extinguisher, adding that over 1200 Benue youths are already been shortlisted for immediate employment as ad-hoc staff as career fire service officers at the end of their training.
He also disclosed that the programme is the first to engage such a large number of Benue indigenes across the 23 Local Government Areas in a single exercise, adding that the project would boost IGR of state with an annual projection of over N1. 6 billion and commended governor Alia for the total support.