Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has called for the review of the Fire Service Act of 1963, in order to empower the agency to meet up with contemporary realities, saying the frequency of fire incidents was becoming alarming.
The Director-General of FEMA, Mr Abbas Idriss, made the call in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja.
Mr Idriss said that the act had become obsolete, thus limiting the powers of emergency agencies in the discharge of their duties.
While stating that the law must be reviewed in the interest of public safety, he queried: “Is there any law that empowers firemen to appraise a building from the beginning of construction to the end?”
Mr Idriss said that in the FCT, emergency agencies relied on the Urban and Regional Planning Act to carry out enforcement.
According to him, an average of 5 fire incidents are recorded daily in the FCT, noting that the frequency of fire incidents was too high.
He noted that most of the fire incidents were avoidable, but could be traced to carelessness or willful acts.
The FEMA boss appealed to FCT residents to dial the toll-free number 112 in case of anything strange or unusual.
Recently, a fire had broken out in Abuja City destroying the property and investments of many businesses in the mall, spurring outrage from Nigerians who lamented the lateness of the emergency management team.
A few days ago, a fire outbreak was recorded at the Next Cash and Carry in Abuja, destroying properties in the process. The mall is said to be owned by the former Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi.
