Lagos recruits 423 firemen, boosts fire-fighting capacity

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has assured citizens of the investment of his administration in methods to tackle natural and man-made disasters such as floods and fire.

Sanwo-Olu gave this assurance on Thursday during the inauguration of 62 newly-purchased fire-fighting vehicles and the passing-out-parade of 435 firefighters at the Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja.

He said, “Today, we are here to hand over 62 sets of newly-acquired and high-end fire-fighting equipment. This heart-warming development comes with the increased need to step up efforts in the areas of the safety of lives and properties as well as a timely response to emergencies.

“Like most smart nations and sub-national governments, we have taken steps to invest in risk mitigation against natural and man-made disasters like flooding, fire outbreak, collapsed buildings, and others, which could negatively impact the lives of our citizens, shatter their dreams and deplete the hope of the vulnerable.

“I have no doubt in my mind that the huge investment we have made in the acquisition of these items of equipment, recruitment and training of new officers, will be justified through improved dedication and commitment of men and officers of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service.”

In his remarks, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, said, “Fire incidents can be very disastrous leading to the loss of lives and properties, but we have a governor who has the foresight and is ready to protect the lives of the state’s citizens and I commend this laudable initiative.”

(Punch)