Abia State Governor Alex Otti has urged the Federal Fire Service to give the state priority in the distribution of newly acquired fire fighting vehicles.
Dr. Otti, who thanked the federal agency for choosing Abia to site a training school in the Southeast, said although Abia might not be the biggest state in the country in terms of size, the state was, however, very busy in terms of commercial and industrial activities.
He spoke while receiving the Assistant Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Mrs. Ijeoma Achi-Okidi, who is on a working visit to the state.
The governor said: “For us here in Abia, governance is comprehensive. While we are building infrastructure, while we are doing everything possible to create an enabling environment for investments and businesses, we will not take our attention away from protection. The Federal Fire Service is all about protection of life and property.
“We do not want to wait until it happens and then we will be running helter-skelter. This is why we have operated safety of lives and property as part of our governance model and this is why we invited you.
“There may be one or two things that are on ground, but the way I will like you to approach it is that there is nothing on ground, so that you can start from the scratch. Whatever you see on ground will just be a bonus.
“There may be one or two trucks, whether they are serviceable or not, you will know. But if there are eight new trucks that have been brought in for the states, we will like to apply for two; and the other ones that you talked about that are so sophisticated, that can manoeuvre and go into tight spaces, it will be nice that since we have applied, that we also have some of them.
“The whole idea is that the state may not be the biggest in size, but in terms of commercial and industrial activities, it’s a very busy state.”
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Mrs. Achi-Okidi, on behalf of the Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Jaji Olola Abdulganiyu, an engineer; expressed “profound gratitude” to Governor Otti and the people of Abia State for the “wonderful relationship, recognition and privileges” accorded the Federal Fire Service.
She informed the governor of the siting of a fire service training school being built in Uzuakoli, a project attracted by an ‘Abian’, a retired permanent secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Dame Barrister Georgina Arisa.
Mrs. Achi-Okidi said the Federal Fire Service was excited to see the Abia State Government after a very long time, rising to the challenge of having the federal agency to establish “a very good and robust fire station.”
She added that the Federal Fire Service would give the state the support it needed.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Homeland Security, Mr. Chukwunenye Alajemba, said Dr. Otti was working towards ensuring that the Fire Service and all emergency response services in Abia were revived and well equipped to respond to the safety needs of Abia people.