Adeleke To Unveil Disaster Management Strategy, Commissions New Fire Service Trucks

The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has commissioned fire service trucks newly bought for the state.

This was just as the governor also promised to unveil the state’s disaster management strategy very soon.

Adeleke, while commissioning the two new fire service trucks on Monday at Abere, maintained that the purchase of the trucks mark the first phase of the fire service sector reform, promising that more trucks were on the way.

Addressing the fire service men, he said “Today, I kick started phase one of our administration’s reform of the fire service sector. This is the start of an expanded reform which will include the provision of fire fighting trucks, equipment accessories, training of personnel and implementation of national standards for disaster prevention.

“When we took office, the fire service was down. The service lacks appropriate fire fighting equipment. The sector was largely neglected. Our team decided to focus attention on re-equipping the service because of its importance to the state economy.

He held that “Disaster management is a key element of every economy. Unfortunately, this is a sector mostly overlooked. Failure to manage disaster issues can wreck homes, individuals, businesses and even a state. We must all join hands to ensure preventive practices.

“Our government is working on a disaster preparedness management strategy. The Secretary to the State Government is to work on an inter-ministerial committee to fast track the process.”

Earlier, the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Rasheed Aderibigbe, said that the last 12 years have been the worst in the life of the state’s fire service.

He alleged that disaster management was accorded low attention under the previous APC administration, commending Governor Adeleke for his holistic approach to governance, especially with the renewed attention to the fire service sector.