The Controller-General, Federal Fire Service, Mr Olusegun Okebiorun, says Nigeria looses property worth N50 billion annually to fires.
Okebiorun announced this at a news conference to mark the 2013 International Fire Fighters’ Day observed every May 4.
The day was instituted after a proposal sent by email across the world on Jan. 4, 1999 due to the death of five firefighters in tragic circumstances in a wildfire in Australia in Dec 2, 1998.
May 4 was selected to mark the day because it used to be a traditional Firefighters’ Day in many European countries in memory of Saint Florian Patron, saint of firefighters.
The controller-general blamed the trend of losing property to fire incidents across the country on inadequate infrastructure and manpower in the service.
He said if the trend was reversed, the country could channel the resources being lost to fires into other development projects.
He said adequate manpower and infrastructure were necessary tools needed to attend to emergencies in the country.


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