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Fire Prevention: Lagos to install centralised generator in Island market
By Sodiq Adelakun
The Lagos State Government is taking proactive measures to prevent fire outbreaks in the state, particularly in the Lagos Island market.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Services (LSFRS) has announced plans to install a centralised generator in the market to reduce the risk of fire incidents.
This move comes as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu emphasised the importance of collective responsibility in preventing fire disasters.
Speaking at the Lagos International Fire Safety Conference, Sanwo-Olu noted that careless behaviour is often the cause of fire incidents in the state and urged market traders to take responsibility for their actions.
The governor’s call to action aligns with the state’s efforts to ensure the safety of lives and properties.
The installation of a centralised generator in the Lagos Island market is a significant step towards preventing fire outbreaks and promoting a culture of fire safety in the state..
Speaking on the theme, “Stakeholders collaboration: A panacea to incessant fire disasters in Lagos,”Sanwo-Olu called on market leaders to take responsibility for mitigating cases of fire incidents in their domain.
“Fire incidents in the state are largely due to irresponsible behaviour or carelessness. And because people don’t raise the alarm early enough, this government has built fire stations in five years.
“We have brought 64 fire engines. We have increased the capacity by recruiting over a thousand new fire service men.
“If it is about providing what is required, the government will actually do that, but it is about everybody understanding that we have a role to play.
“To the market, men and women, the responsibility lies with you. We have had a series of market fire incidents.
“People store petrol in the market and also place generators on the rooftops, and you keep looking at them.
“They will refuel a generator while it is working and complain that it is their village people. You saw what happened at Dosunmu and Mandilas.
“The latest one happened in a church. That is why you all need to caution those who are found culpable. Fire is a respecter of no one. Let us call ourselves to order and join hands to put a stop to this,” Sanwo-Olu stated.
On her part, the Director of LSFRS, Margaret Adeseye, attributed fire incidents in the state to negligence and carelessness.
She also stressed the need for stakeholders to come together to find lasting solutions to the problem of fire incidents in the state.
In addressing market fires in the Lagos Island market, Adeseye disclosed that the government plan to introduce a centralised generator is to eliminate the need for individual generators.
She said, “Lagosians should come together as a stakeholder because fire prevention and safety is everybody’s business.
“We are all here to strategise and look at it holistically so that we have lasting solutions to fire incidents.
“It is no longer a one-man show and not the agency’s duty alone. The stakeholders will come with their diverse knowledge and experience, and we reason together.
“By the end of the three-day conference, we will be able to find a lasting solution to cases of fire incidents.
“The government had set up a committee to ensure we reposition the Lagos Island market. The committee members are working seriously and at the end of the day, all the individual generators will be curbed.
“We are going to have a recommended centralised generator so that cases of individuals running the generator will be corrected.”
Olugbenga Oyerinde, the State Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, emphasised in his keynote address the administration’s commitment to fostering collaboration and partnerships.
He highlighted the goal of creating an enabling environment for engagement with organisations, corporate bodies, individuals, and experts renowned for their achievements in emergency management and fire disaster prevention, leveraging advanced global technological approaches.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation has announced the suspension of services between Delta and Kogi due to the unsatisfactory nature of the track conditions from Ujevwu in Delta State to Itakpe in Kogi State.
This was disclosed in a notice titled “Public Announcement” which was sent to customers, indicating that the agency plans to resume operations on Monday, July 8, 2024.
The suspension, effective from Friday, was attributed to an obstruction on the track.
“This is to officially notify our esteemed passengers that the Warri-Itakpe Train will not run today Friday, 5th July 2024 due to the obstruction we have on our track.
“We shall resume our normal train services on Monday 8th July 2024. Passengers who already booked their tickets online will be refunded.
“All inconveniences are highly regretted. Thank you,” the statement added.
Ogun State Head of Service, Mr. Kehinde Onasanya has said that the State is leading other states of the Federation in Ease of Doing Business, owing to the provision of requisite infrastructural facilities through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects in the State.
Onasanya made this known while delivering a keynote address at the launch of a book titled “Practical Guide to Public Private Partnership Arrangement in Nigeria” authored by Pastor Adebisi Sogunle and held at the Waterfalls Events Centre, Ikeja, Lagos.
According to him, since the State passed the PPP law in 2019, the initiative has facilitated projects with road networks rehabilitated and expanded as well as reconstruction of the Ijebu-Ode-Epe Expressway among others.
He explained that the collaborative agreement between the public and private sectors was predicated on the strengths of both sectors to achieve outcomes that neither could effectively accomplish alone.
“Under the visionary leadership of His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun, Ogun State has harnessed the potential of PPP to drive significant developments and give Ogun State focused and qualitative governance and as well create the necessary enabling environment for a public private sector partnership.
“This is fundamental to the creation of an enduring economic development and individual prosperity of the people of Ogun. Let me, therefore, highlight some of the notable projects of the State Government and their impacts through PPP:
“The Ogun State Agro Cargo Airport: Developed in partnership with the private sector, the Agro Cargo Airport is designed to facilitate the export of agricultural products, thereby boosting the agro-industrial sector.
ii.Ogun State Housing Development Projects: Several housing projects, including the Prince Court Estate, have been developed through PPP arrangements to address the housing deficit.
iii.Ogun State Energy Generation Projects: Lisabi Mini Power was developed in partnership with the private sector to generate 4.5mw Power for transmission and distribution within the State to Government core areas.
“Other projects of the State Government in the pipeline through PPPs include the Olokola Deep Sea Port, Sagamu Trailer Park, Sagamu Stadium, Hillcrest Estate, PMB Estate, Lomiro Oil Palm, OGSG Pharmaceuticals, OGSG Forestry project, Gateway Hotel Ota, Inland Dry Port at Kajola/Papalanto, amongst others,” the HoS said.
While congratulating the author of the book for his contributions to the discourse on PPP, Onasanya said the valuable resource will no doubt guide policy makers, practitioners and investors in navigating the complexities of PPP arrangements in Nigeria and urged public servants as well as private sector partners to key into the messages of the book and apply its lessons in their endeavours.
On his part, the former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the book is timely because government alone cannot maintain all its assets, which requires the PPP arrangements, saying the arrangement paved the way for some major road infrastructure with particular reference to Ogun State and commended the Ogun State Government for keying into the initiative, which has created more job opportunities for the people.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the event, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Dr. Chris Iziguzor said the PPP initiative has assisted Ogun State in achieving much in the area of infrastructural development and added that the arrangement, in turn, brought in more investors and provided job opportunities for the citizens.
In his response, the author, Pst. Adebisi Sogunle, while appreciating all guests for the support he got, said he wrote the book based on the experience he garnered while working on a PPP arranged programme in Cross River State.
He said the book will help in examining the roles of stakeholders because they have the responsibility to maintain the environment when political, economic, and administrative concerns arise while partnering.
News
Reverse 40 per cent import fees on LPG to encourage local manufacturers – Techno Oil boss urges FG
Mrs Nkechi Obi, Group Managing Director (GMD), Techno Oil Limited has urged the Federal Government if Nigeria to reverse its policies on the importation of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders.
Obi made her displeasure known during a panel session at the 2024 Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) conference in Abuja.
Speaking, Obi pleaded with the government to reverse the zero import duties placed on the importation of LPG cylinders and restore the initial 40 per cent import duties, to discourage importation.
“We need policy reversal on that to encourage local producers. The unofficial explanation we are getting from some customs officers is that the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) which the government wants to encourage its usage in Nigeria, has the same Harmonised System (HS) code with LPG.”
“So, the import benefits placed on CNG equipment eventually affected LPG equipment; that is why they were tied together on the zero import duties.”
“Harmonised System codes are commonly used throughout the import and export process for the classification of goods.”
“For me, we don’t produce CNG cylinders in Nigeria because it involves advanced technology but we produce LPG cylinders here.”
“For us to produce CNG cylinders, we have to change one or two machines, and we expect the government to encourage us to upscale our technology to 32, which we are planning to do.” She lamented.
Obi also called on the Federal Government to separate LPG HS code from that of CNG, to ensure that importers of LPG pay higher import duties, and to also enable the government to continue with its efforts to make CNG affordable in the country with zero import duties.
“The previous government protected those producing cylinders, so that import will not overshadow local production; they did that to encourage local manufacturing but when this government came into existence, policy changed.”
“We only enjoyed that policy for six months before it was scrapped and replaced with the new “zero import duties” policy.”
“Definitely, we have to produce CNG cylinders and the government needs to consider those that will go into that production. But if government policy is killing LPG cylinder production that we are doing, it will be very difficult to enter into CNG cylinder production.”
“So, if there is anybody who can venture into CNG cylinder production, we the producers of LPG cylinders are here to do that and it is in our plan.”
“But we are not encouraged to do it because of what happened to us in the LPG cylinder production because of the frustrating policy that is encouraging its importation,” Obi added.
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