The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, has said Treasury Safety is key for the development of economic growth and its sustainability in Nigeria.
Ahmed who was represented by Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Ahmed Ali, while speaking in Abuja on Wednesday, at the Commissioning of the Fire Station at the Treasury house noted that treasury is the key driver of the ongoing Public Financial Management Reforms in line with the desire of the Federal Government to bring the nation up to speed with other leading world economies.
“In carrying out this enormous task, the Treasury has not lost sight of the need to ensure that the work environment is not only conducive but safe.
“The prioritisation of fire detection, prevention and control by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation(OAGF) is indeed a welcome development,” he added.
“Fire safety at the workplace is the foremost consideration in human resources management, of recent, fire incidences have been reported in many government offices and in most cases, such incidences were as a result of failure to plan and implement fire prevention and safety measures.”
She further noted that the commissioning of the fire station among other infrastructural development projects embarked on by the OAGF are in tandem with the policy of the President Muhammadu Buhari Led Administration to ensure safety in every workplace and its environs.
The Account General of the Federation, Alh Ibrahim Idris, said there is no awareness about fire safety, part of the plea is to ensure that Federal Fire Service and all fire commands around the country is enhanced in such a way that people can take basic and preventive measures to prevent fire people should be aware of the protocols on what to do.
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“I have told the FFS on the need to sensitize Nigerians on awareness with protocols in the event of fire outbreak, so let Nigerians be sensitized and be aware and in the event of a fire, necessary protocols should be taken to minimize loss of lives and property.”
“We are not unconscious that we need to provide safety of human being, and properties, but now that we have commission this fire station, we are not praying for fire, but in an event that fire comes, we can adequately address it before we get much more enforcement.”
Reiterating the need for collaboration, he said: “This collaboration is always good for the benefit of the people and the public, I encourage other agencies to look at areas of synergy and partnership among themselves, and we have seen the beauty of this partnership with the Federal Fire Service.”
In his remark, the Controller General, Federal Fire Service, Liman Ibrahim noted with this initiative, the Federal Fire Service now have 12 zonal offices and now have 106 fire fighting vehicles to cover the entire country.
Dr Liman also said the service will purchase 44 more fire fighting trucks, 15 rapid intervention, water tanker of 10,000 water capacity, and 15 ambulances by next year.
Treasury safety imperative for economic growth ― Ahmed