Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), is set to support FEMA’s dry season sensitisation activities across communities in the Area Council to reduce incidences of fire outbreaks in the Nation’s Capital.
AMAC Chairman, Christopher Maikalangu, made this commitment during a sensitisation visit by FEMA to the Council secretariat, Area 10, Garki I District.
Maikalangu, who was represented by the Council Secretary, Jafaru Gwagwa, said the area council has prioritised emergency management by supporting the Local Emergency Committee and as such, it is committed to the sensitization drive embarked on by FEMA.
He said: “As a council, we have been elected to fulfil our promises to the electorates and this is one of the priorities we will give as far as AMAC is concerned. We will be committed both physically and financially because; already it is in the budget”.
The Chairman assured FEMA that the council would put every necessary measure in place to ensure that information reaches the grassroots and called on the Council members to cascade the information down to their various wards.
While appreciating FEMA for coming to sensitize the council members, Zaka cautioned residents to adhere to warnings put in place by the Emergency body; noting that disaster management is everybody’s business.
Speaking earlier, Director of Forecasting, Response, and Mitigation, FEMA, Florence Wenegieme, said that the reason for the Agency’s visit to the area council Secretariat is for Dry Season sensitization, which was initially flagged off in November 2023 after the rains ended.
Wenegieme explained that the sensitization in AMAC is a continuation of the flag-off as the dry season is usually plagued with incessant fire outbreaks when precautions are not duly taken by residents.
She called on residents of the FCT to switch off electrical appliances that are not in use, avoid buildings under high-tension wires, avoid the sale of petroleum products in unapproved locations, avoid the use of fake wiring materials to wire buildings and ensure filling stations follow all due process before offloading petroleum products.
The Director added that households, plazas, offices, and markets should have fire extinguishers and fire alarms in place, as well as call the 112 emergency toll-free number in the case of any emergencies.
Wenegieme warned that the Disaster Management Committee set up by the FCT Administration will prosecute any filling station found flouting precautions while offloading petroleum products.
The Director noted that the continuous sensitization of residents is based on the directive of the Nyesom Wike-led Administration to intensify the Agency’s effort to reduce fire outbreaks in the Territory.