Onyebuchi Ezigbo
11 November 2008
Abuja — National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has advised Nigerians, especially those in the Northern part of the country, to guard against indulging in actions that could ignite fire outbreak during the harmatan period.
The call came against the background of recent inferno which gutted the multi-million naira Kano Model Market, leading to loss of goods and property.
NEMA, in a statement signed by the Director-General, AVM Muhammed Audu-Bida (rtd), said the rampant ocurrence of fire at this period is attributable to lack of public consciousness on the harmattan period, which is the peak of dry season, with extremely dry dusty wind that blows from the Sahara toward the western coast of Africa, especially between November and March.
Audu-Bida said harmattan period is associated with dry season, with attendant strong winds that can easily ignite and blow any inflammable at unpredictable pace.
"Within a week, NEMA officials inspected two major markets that caught fire after it had sent warning signals on likelihood of fire outbreak during the harmattan season last month
The markets are Gasua Central Market in Yobe State and Sabon Gari Market in Kano State, where billions of Naira in goods and properties were lost," he said.
He said the Agency has continued to send precautionary warnings to all tiers of government, to sensitise the people on preventive measures through practical demonstration and public enlightenment on fire fighting techniques, as measures for preventing and mitigating frequent fire outbreak and its effects on the people.
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