FCTA to Prosecute Those Causing Disasters in Abuja
By: Wisdom Acka
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has said that henceforth, it would arrest and prosecute persons responsible for causing disaster in the nation’s capital.
Acting Director-General, Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Ibrahim Mohammed Sabo, made this threat in a media briefing in his office, Tuesday.
He stated that those responsible for any form of disaster in the FCT, including fire, flood or building collapse, would no longer go scot-free.
Sabo revealed that with FCTA support, FEMA has been able to save 2,864 lives in various flood disasters in the FCT since this year, while 1,842 lives were equally saved in fire incidents, just as 174 lives were rescued during building collapse incidents within the same period.
He added that the Agency also saved property worth N99.3 million within the same period, while losing eight lives to building collapse and flooding same time.
The Acting DG said the Agency has embarked on aggressive sensitisation of FCT residents on flood and fire and flood disasters in the Territory; adding that the sensitisation exercise has reduced the number of distress calls received by the Agency.
Sabo said response period by the Agency for distress calls in any part of FCT is now three minutes, as against five minutes period; adding that FEMA has strengthen its relationship with other sister agencies, such as the department of Development Control, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and others to reduce disasters in the Territory.
He continued: “We have also been able to strengthen the capacity of our staff and equally trained our volunteers, vanguards, town criers and divers, who are the first respondents during emergencies.”
The DG, therefore, advised residents to strictly adhere to early warnings and take it very serious, while individuals should take insurance of themselves against disasters, such as fire and flooding, also adhering to building code on the construction of buildings.
