[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he real tragedy about Nigeria is the calibre of people we appoint into positions of moral and intellectual trust in public service.
So Ebeano supermarket was consumed in a fire along with millions of naira worth of stock, just like that.
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The fire service arrives 40 minutes later and proudly announces: “WE HAVE NO WATER”.
Yet if they looked around, they would have realised that there was a lagoon with millions of litres of water walking distance from the inferno.
Most if not all fire trucks are fitted with two way pumps…even the ancient ones…so ideally the can drive by the water and fill up the trucks then return to the fire to blast it away….
About 12 years ago, I proposed a fire insurance regulation that would make it MANDATORY for all corporate organisations to sign up for fire insurance. I don’t know why forcing compliance of safety regulations appears to be a dream that will never come true.
I suggested that to qualify, organisations would have to subject their premises to a fire safety compliance assessment which they would pay for.
Then if they did not meet the requirement, they would be mandated to have an upgrade…which they would pay for.
After which they would qualify for an insurance policy.
I collaborated with one of the best fire institutes in the globe called NIBRA in the Netherlands and we signed off on a memorandum of understanding to collaborate in the training of fire service personnel, installation of hydrants, fire response planning by location etc.
In 15 years, we are still where we are today… lives and property continue to burn away as victims look on helplessly.
It is an absolute shame but again do we demand better so we deserve better?
Sola Kuti (SK) is a new age politician, a serial entrepreneur and social justice crusader with a passion for children. He has been a member of the PDP for 12 years. Connect with him on Facebook.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
