Next Supermarket Inferno: FEMA moves to prevent future occurrence

The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has held a brainstorming session with stakeholders to prevent future fire outbreak in the territory.

The Director-General of FEMA, Alhaji Abbas Idriss, made the disclosure in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

He explained that the session was necessitated by the recent fire incident at the Next Supermarket.

The theme of the discussion was: Next Supermarket Inferno: FEMA moves to Next Cash and Carry Shopping Mall.

Idriss said the meeting was to coordinate a general review to determine the way forward as directed by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Faroukh.

He assured that the meeting would produce a report jointly by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), FEMA and the FCT Fire Service.

“The report will contain both coordination and response aspects. We will come up with very good recommendations on both sides, which will be a yardstick for the government to take the right decision in ensuring public safety in our public buildings.

“The most important thing is that when we identify the problems, we must provide possible and implementable recommendations that are measurable and achievable,” he said.

Also, Director-General of NEMA, Ahmed Habib said that the current state of safety modules and measures, especially in mega cities like Lagos and Abuja call for concern.

Represented by the Deputy Director, Operations, NEMA, Alhaji Bashir Garga, Habib said “our safety modules and measures are in shambles, the earlier we accept them, the better; fire incidences have become a recurring decimal in our national life.

“If it is not in Abuja, it is in Lagos, it is in Kano, it is in Port Harcourt, dealing with the mega cities.”

He urged that the report harmonisation process expanded its scope to owners of big edifice “to rejig their safety measures.”