The Bayelsa State Government has indicated its preparedness to partner and collaborate with the Federal Fire Service to carry out fire safety awareness campaigns in the state as the Yuletide beckons.
The Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the assurance on Thursday, while granting audience to the Zonal Controller of Fire in charge of Zone I of the Federal Fire Service, covering Bayelsa and Rivers states, during a courtesy visit to Government House,Yenagoa.
The Deputy Governor, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, lauded the Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service for his current innovations to transform the Service, including the establishment of more fire stations nationwide.
While calling on the Service to establish fire stations in highly populated and large communities like Amassoma, Otuoke, Kaiama, Sagbama, Ekeremor and others, he assured that government would support the federal agency to raise fire safety awareness among the people of the state.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, however, stressed that for such awareness campaigns to be effective and achieve the desired goal, the messaging should not be done only in English but also in all the major Bayelsa indigenous dialects and Nigerian languages such as Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo.
He expressed optimism that effective sensitization would encourage every household and business premises in the state to have a fire extinguisher to combat fire in the event of an outbreak.
In his remarks, the Zonal Controller, Federal Fire Service in charge of Zone I, Mr Audu Abdullahi Alfa, said the visit was to familiarize himself with the Bayelsa environment, following his recent posting and resumption of duty.
Mr Alfa, who thanked the state government for providing office accommodation for the Bayelsa Command of the Federal Fire Service, informed that the Service would be embarking on a public sensitization exercise in Bayelsa as part of activities lined up for its nationwide “Fire Week” programme.
He solicited the state government’s support, promising that his agency was poised to establish more fire stations with requisite fire-fighting trucks across the state.
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Similarly, the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has called on the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators (NICarb) to take deliberate steps in sensitizing the Bayelsa populace on their activities and roles in alternative dispute resolution.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo who made the call during a courtesy call by members of the Bayelsa State chapter of the Institute in Government House, Yenagoa, underscored the relevance of NICarb in promoting alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in the country.
According to the Deputy Governor, arbitration is much cheaper and quicker in resolving disputes, and therefore, urged the state Chapter of NICarb to intensify public awareness to enable more people know about ADR and take full advantage of their services.
Speaking earlier, the state Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators, NICarb, Alabo Nengi James, explained that their visit was to propose areas of collaboration with government in promoting the use of ADR in conflict resolution in the state.
Alabo James, also appealed for government’s support in sponsoring members of the state chapter to attend a two-day Arbitration Conference of the Institute, which would commence on the 27th of November next month.
