Fire outbreaks: Benue Assembly summons fire service boss
The Benue House of Assembly has summoned the Commandant of the State Fire Service to explain reasons for the agency’s inability to render desired services to citizens.
The Voice Media Trust (VMT NEWS) reports that the lawmakers’ summon followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Mr Abraham Jabi (Buruku/APC) at plenary on Tuesday.
Jabi informed the assembly that on July 24 fire broke out in the home of one Mr Samuel Tough in Makurdi metropolis, but in spite of distress calls to the fire service, fire fighters failed to respond.
The lawmaker said that even when the victim physically went to the state fire sevice office, he was told that they could not help due to lack of water, tyres, and fuel in the fire truck.
Jabi urged the legislative to investigate the reason for the dereliction of duty by the state fire service.
According to him, the house must do something drastic to prevail on the fire service to rise up to their responsibilities.
“Mr Speaker and my colleagues, there’s need for this house to invite the Commandant to appear before us and explain the reasons for their inability to perform their duties as when needed.
“I will also wish to move the motion that the house should set up a committee to investigate why the station is not living up to public expectations, ” he prayed.
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Seconding the motion, Mr Terkume Akya (Makurdi South/APC), said the motion should be fully supported.
Akya said that monies were voted annually for the fire service, “yet the staff always fail to perform their duties as expected.”
After much deliberations, the house unanimous adopted the prayers of Jabi.
The Speaker of the house, Aondona Dajoh, said that the fire service boss should appear before the house on Wednesday.
Aondona also ordered the Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to undertake further investigation on the issue.
