The federal Government is set to break the jinks of obsolete fire fighting materials as it awaits the delivery of N4.6bn firefighting equipment. Explaining the cause of the delay in a press briefing in Abuja Thursday, the Controller-General of Federal Fire Service (FFS), Engineer Joseph Garba Anebi said the Service is currently expecting the arrival of about N4.6 billion worth of fire fighting appliances.
While revealing that forex scarcity had been delaying in the arrival of the equipment, Anebi stressed that procurement of new fire fighting truck, maintenance and refurbishment of the old appliances, procurement of office furniture and completion of ongoing projects at National Fire Academy (NFA) were the major good things that have happened to the service in recent times.
It would be recalled that FFS stations across the federation had been filled with rickety equipments which are hardly effective.
Explaining more on the awaited materials, the CG said though his organisation wanted about 45 appliances; it was however reduced to 35 because of the depreciation in the Naira, adding that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) later approved only 23 of them.
“The Naira depreciation against the Dollars affected the original number proposed to be procured, nevertheless, we are on course as we are awaiting the arrival of the new fire fighting engines from the manufacturers overseas.
“As we may like to know, firefighting trucks are never on the show-room products but based on the specification and placement of order. The expected fire trucks will soon arrive Apapa Port and some of them will be deployed to FFS zonal commands to compliment the state fire services,” Anebi assured.
