By Ochai Sunday (Abuja)
Dr Liman Ibrahim, Controller-General, Federal Fire Service
A pressure group has rallied support for the Federal Fire Service (FFS) under the able leadership of Dr Liman Ibrahim, for establishing core values of integrity, good corporate governance practices and the building of glaring transformation and transparency in the core operations of the Federal Fire Service (FFS) with his resolve to make the nation free from fire disasters, safe to live-in and secured for all Nigerians.
In a press release signed by the Executive Secretary of Citizens Watch Advocacy Initiative (CWAI), Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele, he applauded and endorsed the high level of transformation, maintenance of infrastructures, unparalled gigantic projects spread all over the different operations of the Fire Service and the enormous developmental strides of the management of the Federal Fire Service (FFS) under the leadership of the Controller-General, Dr Liman Ibrahim. CWAI commended his commitment to reposition and rebrand the state of the Federal Fire service into a world-class institution with the purchase of over 100 trucks, state of the art equipment and machinery to combat the fire disaster management across the country; stoppage of tanker spills, establishment of 5 additional fire service training schools; improved capacity building of officers and over 50 officers been sent abroad for professional training; collaborating with the Nigerian Defence Academy to run a Post graduate Diploma and a Master’s Degree in Disaster and Risk Management; including the high “espirit-de-corps” and high morale enjoined within the ranks and file of the service.
Accordingly, CWAI commended the enhanced remuneration, welfare packages; institutional development at the fire academy; expansion of its services across the country, turn around maintenance culture of asset by the Fire Service and the rebranding of the fire service sector to meet with international best practices. This unprecedented achievements is a turning point in the history of the Federal Fire Service and tonic to the change mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, which have earned the hierarchy a universal acclaim for the transformation so far envisaged at the Federal Fire Service.
They implored Nigerians to support the paradigm shift presently going-on in the service and further remarked that Dr Liman should be encouraged by well-meaning Nigerians and private organizations for modernizing, reforming and rebranding of the Federal Fire Service for professionalism and effective service delivery. Through his dynamic and innovative policy framework as encapsulated in his vision since assuming the mantle of leadership.
CWAI stated that they are encouraged by the Controller General leadership style, open door policy and more importantly, his remarkable selfless campaign on risk assessment in buildings across the country, general disaster management, timely electronic alarm response system put in place including raising the stakes in the battle against fire fighting thus averting many fire disasters at our homes and offices across the country.
CWAI emphasized that the aggressive fire prevention campaign architecture, upgrading and the expansion of critical infrastructures, training and re-training of officers, enhanced collaboration with sister agencies and the standardization of fire and rescue equipment including the upgrade of the National Fire Academy (NFA) to university status and other training centres are worthy of emulation. Nigerians and indeed all relevant stakeholders, should as a matter of national priority, join hands with the current management to reinvigorate the fire fighting mechanism put in place and the on-going revolution at the Federal Fire Service coupled with the anti-corruption stance of Dr Liman Ibrahim to build a viable and sustainable institution of repute.