Lokoja Fire Tragedies: Activist Berates Kogi Govt, Federal Fire Service

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Executive Director Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), Comrade Idris Miliki has described the recent fire disasters in Kogi state as unfortunate.

Speaking with newsmen in Lokoja on Saturday after visiting the electronics shop, Pee Links, that was razed by midnight fire, Miliki berated Kogi State and Federal Fire Service for failing in its responsibility to manage fire outbreaks.

He said the burnt Pee Links complex and fuel tanker disaster that happened in the state capital within a space of two days without response from the fire service stations is unfortunate.

The rights activist condemned the actions of the Federal and State Fire Services for not been proactive and alive to there responsibilities.

“Pee Links is just some metres away from the office of the Federal Fire Service in Federal Ministry of Works. The Pee Links complex is equally not up to a kilometer away from the State Ministry of Works. Yet no help came to salvage the fire outbreak! Does it mean that officials of these stations were not on duty? Does it mean that they lack the necessary equipment to work?

“We have always advocated that each local government should be equipped with a fire service station but it is unfortunate that government does not set its priorities right.”

“We are using this medium to call on the Kogi state government to, as a matter of urgency, resuscitate the state fire service.

“It is unfortunate that in the last three years we have had series of fire outbreaks in the state with no commensurate response by the state fire service. We will continue to blame institutional failures for the inability to meet with putting off fire outbreaks in the state.

“Kogi state is witnessing infrastructure decay. Despite the present administration having assessed over N350billion, yet we are not seeing tangible efforts to mitigate disasters.

“The present administration is doing nothing to curtail the flood disaster that has hit the state. This Government has no housing scheme to relocate people displaced by the flood.

“As we speak, we have federal agencies the state whose beneficiaries are the citizens of the state. Unfortunately, these Federal agencies do not enjoy any support of the state government even when they ought to be assisted.

“Today, the Federal Medical Centre has been locked for several months and the state government is not showing any concern and yet it is the citizens who ought to be the beneficiaries that are the worst hit.

“We therefore call on the state government to quickly resuscitate the state fire services and see how it can support the federal services so as to be well positioned to fight fire outbreaks which would always occur and leading to the loss of millions of Naira.

“I equally call on the private sector to contribute and partner in supporting agencies saddled with the responsibility of disaster management because no one is free from disaster,” he said.


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