Minister calls for repeal of fire service act to tackle current realities

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has called for repeal the 1963 Fire Service Act to tackle current global realities.

Tunji-Ojo, made the call on Tuesday, while speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the remodelling and upgrading of the National Fire Academy, Sheda, Abuja.

The minister, who said that the current events have overtaken its usefulness, said the government under President Bola Tinubu will upgrade the agency to be the best in Africa.

He said the role of Federal Fire Service (FFS), is not limited to firefighting alone, but to ensure rescue operations and security duties.

“It is a constitutional duty of government to protect lives and property. So, what you have been set out to do by your establishment statutes is a function of the Constitution.

“We will be working hard to see to the repeal and enactment of a Fire and Rescue Service Act. This present law of 1963 is obsolete.

“The scope of fire service all over the world in 2024 is different from what it was in 1963 and we can not continue to be held down to the apron of the past when we have an opportunity to create a future that we will all be proud of.

“For us, your responsibility is not just to combat and prevent fire. Your responsibilities go beyond that. You ought to be the first responders in case of any emergency.

“You can only give what you have and that is why the government is going all the way to equip you with the required knowledge not just for the Nigerian market but also to be an exporter of rescue knowledge to the rest of Africa,” he said.

Speaking about the project, the minister said the completion timeline is a year from now, adding that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would commission it as part of activities to mark his second year in the office.

Tunji-Ojo said that after the completion of the project, the government would establish a fire academy in each of the six geo-political zones in the country, saying that the target was to bring the private sector into the fire service and rescue industry.

“It is only when we do that that over 200 million Nigerians can have the kind of rescue assurance that they need,” he said.

On his part, , the Controller General of the FFS, Jaji Abdulganiyu, commended the federal government for the decision to remodel the National Fire Academy (NFA).

While highlighting the landmark achievements of the academy so far, the Controller General said that trainees from all works of life including the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and other paramilitary agencies have been patronising the NFA for training.