Kwara Assembly Urges Residents to Take Fire Safety Precautions as Harmattan Approaches
The Kwara State House of Assembly has urged residents to take necessary precautions to prevent fire outbreaks as the harmattan season approaches.
During a plenary session, the lawmakers addressed the issue through a motion titled “Need to Create Awareness on Fire Outbreaks in Kwara,” highlighting the importance of public education on fire safety.
The motion, sponsored by Bello Oniboki (APC/Afon), emphasized the increasing risk of fire outbreaks due to the changing weather conditions, which are signaling the onset of the harsh, dusty harmattan period.
Oniboki pointed out that negligence is often the primary cause of fire outbreaks, such as bush burning, children playing with matches, or the failure to turn off electronic appliances, which can lead to sparks igniting a fire. He further noted that millions of naira worth of property were destroyed by fire outbreaks between January 2023 and October 2024, underscoring the urgency of the issue.
The motion received support from other lawmakers who commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his efforts in improving the Kwara Fire Service by providing modern firefighting equipment. This has greatly enhanced the agency’s ability to respond to fire outbreaks.
The House Speaker, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, read the resolutions on the motion, which included a call for the Ministry of Works and Transport to collaborate with the state fire service to intensify public education on fire safety practices.
The lawmakers also advocated for the decentralization of the Fire Service by establishing additional fire stations across the three Senatorial Districts to ensure more effective and efficient service delivery. They urged all Kwara residents to take necessary precautions during the harmattan period to reduce the risk of fire outbreaks, ultimately aiming to prevent the loss of lives and property.
