Adedayo Akinwale and Udora Orizu in Abuja
The House of Representatives has called on the federal government to as a matter of urgency enforce the installation of fire alerting systems in all buildings across Nigeria to save lives and properties during fire outbreaks.
The lower chamber also urged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and the Federal Fire Service, to ensure compliance with the Federal Fire Service Act by ensuring that every building and market within FCT installs fire alerting systems in their various structures.
It also mandated the committees on Legislative Compliance and Interior to ensure compliance.
The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion titled ‘Curbing the Menace of Fire Outbreaks in Nigeria, sponsored by Hon Henry Nwawuba.
Moving the motion, Nwawuba noted that fire incidence was a recurring phenomenon in Nigeria with cases of fire incidents reported across the nation without any sign of cessation.
He said these outbreaks were caused by many factors, including human negligence.
He said that public and private structures, including markets did not have adequate fire alerting systems in place to curb the menace.
He explained that the Federal Fire Service is statutorily charged by the Fire Service Act with responsibility to facilitate all firefighting and fire prevention activities in its jurisdiction.
He noted that there had been reported cases of fire outbreaks in some plazas, high-rise buildings and major markets across the country, which had led to loss of lives and properties worth millions of naira.
