By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Capital Territory Management Agency (FEMA) has advocated the establishment of safety commission to strengthen hazards prevention in the territory.
Director-General of the agency, Alhaji Abbas Iddris, stated this when he briefed journalists in Abuja, yesterday.
He said the proposed Commission will take charge of the responsibility of issuing operating licenses and effectively curb the proliferation of liquid (cooking) gas and petrol outlets.
Idriss explained that that if such Commission was not established, FCT is going to have fires and explosions that would cause much havoc in the nation’s capital.
According to him, the initiative would sustain mitigation of loss of lives and property to incessant fire outbreaks and explosions.
He disclosed that in furtherance to the advocacy, they had even gone to some states to do some understudy, to see how the system works.
The DG said: “We are advocating Safety Commission in the FCT, which will take charge of the responsibility of issuing operating licenses. Because, most of these Gas stations don’t operate the way they are supposed, as they don’t have the training and adequate staffing to handle such ventures.
“So, we have written for it, and we will continue to advocate for such sustainable intervention. We had a Committee on incessant gas explosion in FCT, but that doesn’t mean that we are not taking actions.
“Now, with the fire incidence in three filling stations, we have revisited those actions, and we are awaiting response from the FCT Minister. Definitely, something good is coming out. It is a concern that we can’t ignore, as it is part of responsibility. We had even gone to some states to do some understudy, to see what they are doing.
“So if we don’t have safety Commission established and regulated by the FCTA that will ensure that they train each operators of Gas outlets and filling stations to follow the right thing required of them, we are going to have fires and explosions that are going to cause much havoc in the FCT”.
Iddris revealed that in 2022, the Agency intervened in post fire disaster in various parts of the FCT as well as responded to 10 fire incidents, including 3 filling station fires, where 16 lives were saved.
On FEMA’s action plan for 2023, he said it intends to continue with a spillover of activities of the previous year which include Operation eagle eye and dry season early warning campaign.
