The Controller General, Dr. Liman Alhaji Ibrahim MIFire.E was at the office of the Director General, National Emergency Agency, Ahmed Mustapha Habib on Tuesday for a courtesy visit.
The CGF who was visiting the DG for the first time since his appointment congratulated him on his well deserved appointment.
The CGF used the opportunity of the courtesy visit to inform the DG of how President Muhammadu Buhari has in the last six years transformed the Federal Fire Service from a neglected Service to a well equipped and functional Service.
The Controller General, also informed the Director General on the need for better collaboration between the two agencies.
The CG said ” We’ve been partnering but there is need for better collaboration, especially in the areas of training and equipment. You need to visit our offices. Inspect our offices, You know what we have, as a coordinating agency you look at the areas that we need your intervention. You can buy equipments and donate. We both have the responsibility of providing effective emergency response to Nigerians. Our success is your success”
The Controller General, told the DG that the
Service is ready to collaborate with NEMA so that it’s personnel can be trained on rescue operations during flood emergency.
While reiterating the need for training the CG said “Though ambulance services is not in the mandate of the FFS but in the absence of a national ambulance service, we have to provide that, because when we arrive at an emergency scene we need to stabilise the injured victims before conveying them to the nearest hospital. That’s why we recruited paramedics and I appealed to the Honourable Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola on the need to procure basic life support ambulances, a request he graciously granted. We now have 20 Life support ambulances distributed to all our zonal commands. So we also need your intervention in the area of training and retraining of our paramedics”
The Controller General, who lamented on the poor state of many State Fire Services called on the DG NEMA to join him in appealing to State Governors to invest more in their State Fire Services as the Federal Fire Service are only in the States to complement the efforts of the State Fire Services.
The Director General of NEMA in his response applauded the Federal Fire Service for their swift response to the recent fire in Shagamu, Ogun State which was as the result of a tanker accident. He went further to assure the CGF of his commitment to a better Collaboration and support for the Federal Fire Service in the area of training that he requested.
