By Stanley Onyekwere
The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has taken it’s fight against market fires to traders and artisans in Kugbo Furniture Market, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
Declaring open the joint assessment, inspection and sensitisation programme at the market, the Director General of FEMA, Alhaji Abbas Idriss said it was to unravel the causes of the yearly fire incidents at the market and proffer solutions.
Represented by the Acting Director, Forecasting Response and Mitigation, Mrs. Florence Wenegieme, Idriss decried the absence of fire hydrant and inadequate fire fighting equipment at the market.
According to a statement from Head, Public Relations Unit (PRU) at FEMA, Nkechi Isa, which was made available yesterday to PeoplesDaily, the DG revealed that the programme would also inspect sources of power supply to the market and electrical connections.
It added that the FEMA boss appealed to traders in the market to cooperate with the Agency, and also equip the market with fire defense gadgets.
Also speaking at the event, the Area Commander, FCT Fire Service, Mr. G.C Eze, who traced the yearly fire incidents to power surge, said: “ a single transformer cannot serve this market as they use heavy equipment with high voltage.”
He also condemned nature of wiring within the market, noting that it was capable of igniting a spark.
On his part, the Chairman Kugbo Building Materials Association, Mr. Iheanacho Afamefuna disclosed that the market was usually gutted by fire every January, noting that this year’s incident was quickly contained before it escalated.
Afamefuna noted that the market management had reached out to FEMA last year for sensitisation on tackling fires at the market.
While attributing the incessant fire outbreaks in the market to electric sparks, Afamefuna appealed to the FCTA to provide adequate infrastructure at the market.
“ We have fire extinguishers, but we need water tanker, road, we need government presence in the market like yesterday “, he added.
Highlight of the event, which was also graced by representatives of the Federal Fire Service and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), was a fire drill aimed to sensitise traders on how to use fire defense equipment.
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