Residents cautioned to stop indiscriminate bush burning

By Stanley Onyekwere

Residents in Abuja, the nation’s capital have been urged to stop indiscriminate burning of bushes, so as to help prevent fire disasters and its negative impact on the environment.
Making this point, Director, FCT Fire Service, Julius Opetunsin, however advised members of the public to always keep their farms and surroundings tidy, and exercise caution if they must burn bushes.
Opetunsin spoke while flagging off sensitization exercise against indiscriminate bush burning in Kuje, Kuje Area Council, recently.
He disclosed that the exercise, which is part of its reinvigorated awareness campaign, would be carried out in all the six Area Councils of the FCT.
He stressed that prevention of fire disaster was the respossibility of everyone, as any outbreak in one neighbour’s property had the potential to adversely affect others within the area.
According to him, the event was part of the Service’s efforts to actualize the vision of the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello of preventing disasters from claiming the lives and property of FCT residents.
Pledging that his men would be visiting the local communities to sensitize them, especially the farmers.
“Let us not burn bushes indiscriminately to avoid fire disaster during the farming season.
“Rather than engage in bush burning, I urge you to rent tractors to plough the soil because the grass will even turn to manure that will be good for the soil,” he stated.
Also speaking, representative of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Isah Abdullahi reiterated that the FCTA had put it place measures to prevent fire disasters across the Territory.
While reminding the residents of the ban on farming within residential areas, he disclosed that bush burning has adverse effect on both ecosystem and could promote global warming.
He therefore urged traditional rulers to take the message to their communities.