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From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
The Federal Government has empowered fire extinguishing vendors with necessary equipment after a rigorous training to sensitize people across the 23 Local Government Areas of Benue State on the use and servicing of fire extinguishers.
Speaking in Makurdi during the closing ceremony of the training on Thursday, which featured certificate and equipment presentation to the trainees, Special Adviser to the Governor Hyacinth Alia on Security and Internal Affairs, Chief Joseph Har, (PSP), urged the trainees to support the Governor to do more for the people of the state.
“You people need to lift His Excellency’s hands up. Maybe you don’t know that’s what you are doing. In the Bible, you know of the man his supporters raised his hands when they were fighting. When Moses was fighting and he needed to put his hands up for the sun to be still, Aaron held his hands so that he would not be weak because once his hands were down, the war was going against them.
“You are the first people in this aspect to hold his Excellency’s hands for the sun to be still and I commend you for accepting to be here”, Har said.
He also commended the Director General, Bureau of Entrepreneurship and Wealth Creation, Benita Shuluwa, for the initiative and urged the trainees to go back and be good ambassadors of the state and the country at large.
Speaking, the Director General (DG), Bureau of Entrepreneurship and Wealth Creation, Benita Shuluwa, who congratulated the trainees on the successful completion of the exercise assured them of continuous support to succeed, saying relevant offices were open 24hours for them to access for assistance.
“For every start, there is always a stepping stone into something bigger and to do well in little things. So, it starts here. If you go back and you do well in sensitizing the people in your various local governments, it will take you to greater things and you will be good ambassadors. It’s a starting point in the right direction”, Shuluwa said.
She charged the vendors to start their job of sensitizing people in their local governments on the use of fire extinguishers immediately saying “As you are going, you are starting. No time to waste.”
In his address, the State Liaison Consultant on Nigeria Fire Extinguisher Controll Programme, Mr Charles Adzo, while presenting the fire extinguishing vendors said, the programme was the first of its kind in Nigeria.
He appreciated Governor Alia for being proactive and for supporting the project to succeed.
According to him, the trainees are now fire extinguishing vendors duly recognized by the federal Ministry of Interior and the Benue State government and should not be intimidated.
“Nobody will come to service extinguishers in your union who will not be a member of your union. Every fire extinguishing person in Benue must be a member of this Programme”, he maintained.
On is part, State Director of Fire Service, Engr Donald Ikyaaza, and a retired Director of Fire Service, Apine Lawrence, who was one of the trainers, tasked the trainees to continue to practice what they were thought, saying the training and retaining would be sustained.
Speaking on behalf of the trainees, Iveren Atsegha, from Katsina-Ala LGA said she will be committed to servicing fire extinguishers to ensure that those containing explosive substances rather than fire extinguishing substances will be fished out.
According to her, some substances are used for explosion but illicitly kept in fire extinguishers hence the need for sanctity.
“I will ensure that any extinguisher coming into the state that has to be serviced through me, is safe for use anywhere.”
Photo:
1: photo of trainee vendors and the fire extinguishers
2&3. SA on Security and Internal Affairs, Chief Joseph Har addressing the trainees in Makurdi
