The Nation Newspaper

Tag: fire

  • Aba: Fire destroys goods worth millions of naira

    Aba: Fire destroys goods worth millions of naira

    Properties estimated to worth over N5 million were on Friday morning engulfed in an inferno that occurred along the busy Aba-Owerri road in the commercial city of Abia State.

    This is coming barely 3days after four persons were reportedly killed by an articulated truck driver who rammed into three commercial tricycles and a Toyota Sienna SUV and allegedly discharging its content on the victims in a nearby ditch.

    While no life was lost in the fire incident, The Nation gathered burnt about seven vehicles, three commercial tricycles and destroyed commercial and residential buildings within the area the incident occurred.

    According to an eyewitness account, Augustine Anosike said that the truck loaded with Diesel was entering a filling station along the Aba-Owerri road to discharge its content when the body of the vehicle bearing the petroleum product pulled off and landed on the road’s median and overturned its content on the road.

    Another eyewitness, Ifeanyi Okoro, who corroborated the former, said “the tanker was going into the opposite filling Station but we didn’t know that it was carrying something inside it. Normally, because it is a long truck, other vehicles coming from Osisioma into Aba will hold on for it to find turn and pack very well.

    “So, while the driver was trying to reverse in order to pack well, the body of the truck pulled out from the head unknown to the driver, discharging its content on the road. And because we know the dangers it portends, we rushed to the other side of the main road to stop vehicles and avert the impending dangers. But a stubborn commercial driver who could not wait bypassed some of us and drove on the diesel.

    “We suspected that the heat from the bus exhaust pipe was what ignited the fire and before you know what is happening, everywhere was in flame. The rage of the fire was so fierce that some of us had to run for safety until the Abia State Fire servicemen arrived the scene.

    “They (Fire Servicemen) were actually prompt and it was as a result of their promptness that some property that worth over billions of naira was saved. We thank God that no life was lost, but the damage was too terrible. The whereabouts of the driver and the truck is still not known because he sped off immediately the fire started burning. If you go into the nearby compound, you will see a truck 911 that ran into there for safety, but was unfortunately burnt in the process. Another man just stopped by the road side for the vulcanizer to either pump or change his car tyre but because of the rate the fire was spreading, the car  got burnt in the process.”, Ifeanyi narrated.

    Nnamdi Ukata, whose vehicle was affected in a nearby compound, said “I am a driver and I come to Aba from Umuahia on daily basis, but after working I will pack my vehicle in this compound to go back and return the next day. While I was coming into Aba this morning, I saw a thick black cloud in the sky and I never knew that the fire incident was happening where I packed my car. But when I came around, I saw my car burnt to ashes. I don’t know what to do. Am just confused”, he said.

    Another man that lost his car in the inferno, Rev. Alfred Okeke told reporters that he parked his car by the roadside to buy feed for his livestock before the incident and lamented that his car was equally engulfed in the inferno.

    A resident of one of the affected buildings, Mr. Emmanuel Kingsley while thanking God for sparing the lives of his brothers and other members of his family, described the incident as one of the horrific experiences he has had in recent times.

    Our correspondent, reports that while men of the Abia State Fire Service were battling to quench the fire, personnel of the Aba Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were also on ground to ensure that there was free flow of traffic in the area.

    An official of the Fire Service who spoke to our correspondent on anonymity said the situation would have been worse than the damage if the content was Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS).

    FRSC Aba Commander, Okora Awassam who lamented the attitude of truck drivers on the road said that there were a lot of enlightenment programmes that the agency had initiated to educate the drivers on the need to be safety conscious at all times.

    Awassam urged truck owners and drivers to also make sure that their vehicle were in good shape before driving on the road.

  • Fire at plastic firm

    Fire yesterday gutted parts of Celplast Industries Limited on Fatai Atere Way in Matori, Mushin, Lagos.

    The firm produces coolers, water bottles, flasks, soft drink bottles and other products.

    The fire started around 11.25a.m at the upper part of the building housing the administrative offices.

    There was no casualty.

    Some members of staff were in a meeting when the fire started. They were alerted by passersby who saw thick smoke billowing from their roof.

    The fire threw nearby companies into panic.

    Sympathisers and traders at the Ladipo International fought the fire before the arrival of fire men.

    Men of the Lagos State Fire Service in Isolo and Ojuelegba arrived 10 minutes after the fire started.

    A car parked at the firm’s entrance prevented them from gaining access in time.

    The fire was put out by 12.30pm.

    A factory worker was heard, saying :”Thank God there is no light.”

    A top official of the company, who did not want his name in print, attributed the cause of the inferno to an electrical surge.

    A fire fighter, Ibrahim Saheed, said the electrical surge might have emanated from a socket.

    Saheed said the affected area was the dining section of the factory.

    “It cannot be chemical because we saw none in the area, it can only be electrical surge as there are no flammable things in that section of the factory that was burnt,” he said.

    Efforts to speak with the firm’s management proved abortive.

     

  • Fire control: Ogun wants laws domesticated

    Worried by the spate of flagrant abuse of the fire safety laws by owners of some petrol stations and companies across the country, the Ogun State Director of Fire Services, Mr. Akanbi Obiwunmi, has advocated the need for state governments to domesticate the recently approved National Fire Code Laws by the Federal Government in order to put an end to the fire menace.

    Obiwunmi, who disclosed that the Ogun State Fire Service within the last eight months recorded six deaths during fire fighting operations, and attended to 576 fire calls involving residential buildings, petrol stations and other infrastructure within the same period. The death recorded were of individuals and not officials of the service that were trapped in the fire incidents before the arrival of his workers

    The director, who was quoted in a statement by the spokesman in the  state’s Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Ayokunle Ewuoso, said the call for the state governments to domesticate the  approved Federal Government fire code laws became imperative because the existing fire laws in some of these states have made fire service authorities “toothless bulldogs”.

    He said: “Fire service is not the only approving authority as regards allowing people to establish petrol stations or companies. We are just a part of the approving authorities. In most cases, these petrol dealers or owners of companies would have built their structures, commenced operations and even gotten approvals from other relevant authorities before coming to fire service which is completely illegal. We are expected by the laws governing their establishment to have visited the proposed location of the business to carry out site inspections and clearance before the establishment of such venture. The problem here is that once they have been given approvals by other relevant authorities it becomes difficult for us to sanction them.”

    “This arrangement has completely changed due to the recently approved National Fire Code by the Federal Government, this new code has given fire service authorities across the country the power to sanction any defaulter, but as we all know we are running democratic governance so such laws must be adopted at the different state levels before it becomes operational. It is not operational in Ogun State yet, but the Permanent Secretary in charge of the Ministry Of Works and Infrastructure, Kayode Ademolake has written a memo to the governor informing him about the new laws and the need of such laws to be domesticated, ” he explained.

  • N351m properties saved from fire

    The FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has saved N351.5m worth of properties from going up in flames between June and July.

    Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the agency, Josie Mudashiru provided the information in a press statement, adding that the properties were residential homes, business premises and institutional structures.

    She stated, “In furtherance of its mandate to ensure that disasters are reduced to the barest minimum, the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has saved properties valued at Three Hundred and Fifty one Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira only in the months of June and July, 2015.

    The Director General of FEMA Alhaji Abbas Idriss said that out of the 13 fire stations situated within the FCT, only three, namely, Abaji Fire Station, Kaura and National Judicial Institute did not receive stress calls.

    The D.G. urged everyone to cooperate with FEMA and help it to respond promptly to distress calls.

    “The properties saved cut across residential, business and institutional buildings, the D-G said, adding that the residential buildings represent 64% of the total fire incidences recorded in the two months under review.

    “Alhaji Abbas Idris called on FCT residents to implement the Fire Code that stipulates amongst other requirements, that public and private buildings should install smoke detectors and fire alarms. This implementation, according to the Director General, will ensure that properties and lives are saved due to the early warning system that the gadgets provide.

    The TCT boasts of Thirteen Fire Stations and they are as follows: Asokoro, Abaji, Games Village,and Garki Market. Others are Gwarimpa, Kuje, Kubwa, Kwali, Kaura Market, Karu and National Judicial Institute. TheDirectorGeneral said the public should call any fire station closer to them in the event of an emergency or call the three (3) digit toll free emergency number 112.

    He urged FCT residents to cooperate with the Federal Capital Territory Administration in reducing emergencies by being safety conscious at all times.

     

  • Woman, lover, four kids burnt by fire in Osun

    A woman, her four children and lover were burnt in a midnight fire during the week in Ajumosa, Ogberin area of Ede North Local Government, Osun State.

    The woman, Mrs. Hadijat Adegoke (35), her children – Fawasi (13), Ishuwat (12),ý Sodiq (eight), Fatai (six) – and man friend Mr. Lawal Munirudeen (45) were said to be asleep when their yet-to-be completed house suddenly caught fire last Monday.

    A source in the neighbourhood said after the incident, the woman and her man were rushed to the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo.

    The children, who were also seriously injured, are receiving treatment at a Muslim hospital at Oke-Gada in Ede.

    The source said the woman, popularly called Iya Ishuwat, just moved to the area during the last Ramadan.

    The source said the residents in the area, in the midnight, heard the victims shouting for help that their house was on fire before some  people summoned courage to rescue them and later took them to hospitals.

    One of the children said she saw an unidentified person with a four-litre keg suspected to be filled with petrol when she woke up to urinate a few minutes to the incident.

  • Fire alarm at NNPC’s Aba depot

    A FIRE broke out yesterday at the Osisioma depot of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Abia State.

    Reporters were denied access into the premises but a source said the situation caused pandemonium, leading to an abrupt halt in activities.

    Another source said workers scampered to safety as there were fears that the storage tank may explode.

    The fire damaged the generating set used to pump out waste from the tank.

    It was gathered that the fire was put out by the fire department with support from the state fire service.

    The cause of the fire was yet to be established as at press time.

    A member of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), who pleaded for anonymity, confirmed the incident.

    “The damage was not heavy; it was just a minor thing. Nobody has been able to ascertain the cause of the fire but the generator used to pump out waste product from the reservoir tank was badly damaged.

    “We were washing the tank ahead of a fresh supply when the generator caught fire. It was extinguished by men of the fire department. There is no need for panic, the situation is under control”.

    State fire Chief Mr. Victor Gbaruko could not be reached for comments.

  • N50m property destroy in Ondo market fire

    GOODS worth N50 million were destroyed during an inferno, which gutted Lennon Jubilee Shopping Complex at Ikare-Akoko, headquarters of Akoko Northeast Local Government in Ondo State.

    Witness said the inferno razed about 10 shops.

    The shops were said to have been stocked with expensive textile materials, wears, computer sets, accessories and substantial amounts of cash.

    One of the victims, Mrs. Mary Olaniyan, who lamented her lost to the fire, stressed that her life depended on the burnt shop.

    The trader urged the state government and wealthy Nigerians to assist the victims.

    Efforts to speak with senior fire officer in Ikare-Akoko were futile, but a source linked the inferno to electricity spark.

    A community leader, John Fatola, noted that “Ikare-Akoko needs fervent prayers to ward off evil machinations”.

    He said the commercial town had witnessed a bloody bank robbery, which claimed about 25 lives.

    Fotola said the development has brought untold hardship to its residents while economic activities were on zero level because of the attack.

    The Chairman of Akoko Northeast Local Government, Alhaji Azeez Almam, visited the affected traders to sympathise with them.

    He urged them to always put off electricity before going home.

    The Iyalaje of Ikareland, Mrs. Risikatu Mohammed, who was accompanied by Iyaloja of Iboropa, Mrs. Iyabo Alo, visited the scene of the fire incident and urged well-meaning citizens to assist the victims.

     

  • Senators under fire for rejecting pay cut

    Nigerians are outraged by the decision of Senators to reject a pay cut as recommended by the James Manager Committee on Finance.

    The Senate suspended consideration of the committee report on Wednesday as members disagreed sharply on the recommendation that members’ salary and allowances be cut.

    But reacting to the action of the Senators, some prominent opinion leaders expressed shock that the lawmakers are not showing concern for the state of the national economy and the well being of the generality of Nigerians.

    First Republic Minister, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, likened   the stance of the Senators to legalization of looting.

    “I have always been critical of the outrageous and exorbitant allowances being collected by members of the National Assembly. As far as I am concerned, it is legalizing stealing and looting,” he told The Nation by phone.

    He added: “though the reduction of their allowances may not have much effect on the economy, it is desirable that they reduce it in the interest   of the country.  It is highly ridiculous that a university professor who has spent a good part of his life contributing to the body of knowledge does not earn up to 20 percent of what these people are earning.

    “The issue here is that I don’t know what they are doing there on full time basis and earning these bogus allowances. During our days in the First Republic, we worked  part time.

    “I think the solution to this problem lies in the executive. The president should not assent to any bills they present to him if they refuse to cut their allowances. If this is done and they go ahead to use two third majority to pass the bill into law, then it would be glaring that they are unpatriotic. Nigerians would then see that they out to achieve their selfish agenda and not there to serve the people.”

    Constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay, branded the rejection of the pay cut as selfish .

    “Members of the National Assembly have been consistent in their attitude of not being concerned about the interest of the country. They are only there to serve their own interests.

    “There has been so much talk about their allowances and one should ordinarily expect them to do something about it.

    “There are about six to seven items on their list of allowances that they should remove. For instance, the wardrobe allowance. As a man with a wife and children, is it not an embarrassment for me to be waiting for the government to clothe me?

    “Their actions are tantamount to exploiting and squeezing blood out of the nation.  As I have suggested before, we may need to have our National Assembly working on part time and paid allowances based on the number of times they sit as it was the case during the First Republic.

    “The allowances they are collecting are unrealistic in a developing country like Nigeria. If we cannot have that done immediately, we can embark on it in the next political dispensation. It should be part of the campaign in the next election.”

    Second Republic lawmaker, Mohammed Junaid, put the senators’ action down to a lack of the understanding of law.

    “I am not surprised because the PDP members in the National Assembly have a perverted understanding  of the law.  Because the constitution allows them to take these allowances, they have always stood their ground that it should remain so.

    “This is not right when you need to consider the larger interest of the country and the masses that voted for you. If you even look at what they are earning in relation to what they are collecting, you will agree that it is not worth it.

    “It is unfortunate that in spite of the huge salaries and allowances they are collecting, they still are still corrupt.

    “The solution, in my opinion is to reverse the aspect of the constitution that allows them to take all these allowances. The Revenue Allocation and Mobilization Commission should also be empowered to fix their salaries and allowances in relation to the reality of the economic situation of the country and their participation in the law making job they are saddled with.”

    Former Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Abubakar Tsav, urged the senators to emulate the president and the vice president, and accept a pay cut.

    “The truth is that these people are not there to serve Nigeria and the masses. They should follow the examples of the president and the vice president and slash their allowances and salaries.

    “They should be considerate enough to look at the economic situation in the country without anybody pushing or mounting pressure on them to do that. The challenge here is that there is little anybody can do to compel them to accept a pay cut because this is democracy and everything would have to go through law making which is their primary occupation.

    “You can’t amend the constitution without them and cannot make anything to be in force without going through them. The moment they are not prepared to have their salaries slashed, they would frustrate everything that is against their interest. They should be civilized enough to slash these allowances and if they would not do so, I would suggest that Nigerians should march to the National Assembly to compel them to do so. I think this is the only way to compel them to slash the huge allowances they have put up for themselves.”

    The President of  Aka Ikenga, an Igbo  social political group, Chief Goddy Uwazurike,is of the view that Senators and others in  public offices  should follow the path of honour and slash their salaries.

    “Members of the National Assembly need to cut their allowances. They know the relevant areas they need to cut and should go ahead to do so. Aside from the National Assembly, every public office holder in the country from top to the bottom should have their allowances slashed,” he said.

    Several groups are threatening to storm the National Assembly to show their anger at the Senators.

    The President of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Comrade Shetimma Yerima, said it appears the Senators are not working for Nigerians.

    His words: ”their refusal to accept pay cut shows they are not working for the interest of the nation.  They are only working for their personal aggrandizement and that is regrettable.

    “We would not hesitate to stage a protest at the National Assembly if they would not agree to slash their allowances. I would personally be in the forefront of such protest that is geared towards liberating our country from those who are bent on holding us to ransom.

    “But before we do that, we would give them benefit of the doubt because we know that there are  a few credible people in the two chambers who would be reasonable enough to consider the interest of the people and the nation above their personal and selfish interest.”

    Also speaking, the President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth wing, Mazi Okechukwu Iziguzoro, called on the senators to cut their salaries in the interest of the country.

    “They should be patriotic enough to cut their allowances in the interest of the country. It is crystal clear that the economy of the nation is in a shambles and it behoves every one of us, especially those holding public offices to make sacrifices in one way or the order to redeem our father land.

    “This is an era of change and it is expected that the former ways of doing things because of selfish benefits should be jettisoned for the overall well being of the nation, the poor masses in particular.

    “If they would not agree to cut their allowances, we would not hesitate to embark on protest to ensure they do that.”

  • Agony as family of seven is buried in Anambra

    Agony as family of seven is buried in Anambra

    Azia community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State was yesterday, thrown into mourning, following the burial of a family of seven that died in a gas explosion in Ajegunle, Lagos State on July 20.

    Markets and shops were closed in respect to the family.

    The deceased were Charles Obidiegwu, 51, his wife Esther, five children – Isaac, Ebube, the sister in-law, Mary, Kate and his son.

    Death came calling when the gas cooker Esther was cooking with caught fire.

    The late Charles ran a medicine shop and was a member of the Chosen Charismatic Church in Lagos.

    Tears flowed like a river as sympathisers lamented the doom that befell the community.

    The deceased’s elder brother, Mr. Livinus Obidigwe lamented: “My younger brother’s wife was cooking at about 12pm when the gas exploded.

    “The explosion may have been caused by a leakage which they didn’t know about. None of them escaped because the kitchen was both the entry and exit point.

    “Before fire fighters arrived, the damage had been done; my younger brother had died and the others died in the hospital seven days later.

    Chimezie Obidiegwu, looking devastated, lacked words to express his feelings. He was hopeful that his late brother’s love, understanding, coupled with the fear of God, would see them through.

    In his sermon, the officiating priest, Rev. Fr. Jude Unigwe condoled the family and urged them not to question why it happened the way it did, as only God had the answer.

    He urged the people to live a good life as nobody knows when and how death would come.

    “It is a painful death and nobody deserves to die in that manner but nobody can question God; he knows the best. Nkwankwa village should use this death to unite and be their brother’s keeper.

    “God allows things like this to happen so that the living can learn and come to repentance,” Rev. Unigwe said.

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  • Hoodlums set Abia council INEC office ablaze

    Office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State was on Sundayset on fire by yet to be identified hoodlums.

    Sources within the area that confirmed the incident expressed fear that sensitive materials used in the conduct of 2015 general elections, including the ones used for the governorship elections may have been burnt by the fire.

    But another source told our correspondent that although the level of damage was yet to be ascertained, the fire had already been put off.

    Another account has it that the whole structure was engulfed, but the Abia State Fire Service is yet to comment on the incident.

    Enabor Godwin, the state INEC Public Relations Officer when contacted by our correspondent said he was not aware of the incident, but the state Police Public Relations Officer, Onyeke Udeviotu Ezekiel confirmed the inferno.

    Onyeke said he was yet to be briefed on the extent of damage to the INEC office in Obingwa, adding that investigation into the matter would soon comence.