Nigerians should Fight Fire Outbreaks the way they Battle Militants- MD, Surveillant Fire Limited, Engr. Adejola

Fire outbreaks are causing more harms than Boko Haram terrorists, Managing Director of Surveillant Fire Limited, Engineer Jumade Adejola has declared.

He said Nigerians should start giving more attention to fire outbreaks as they battle militants.

Adejola spoke in a chat with reporters at his head office in Magodo, Lagos recently.

He blamed law enforcement agencies for failing to enforce legislations made to curb erecting buildings without installing every necessary fire and security system.

He said that there are codes and legislations that fire system should be installed in houses but questioned “why are we not following up legislations to ensure that we implement it?”

Adejola said: “You are building an estate, you don’t have fire hydrant and you are getting approval from physical planning.

“How can that be approved when you don’t have the laid down plan for fire hydrant?

“Nobody is here to blame anyone but a it is a call for us to wake up from our slumber. It is not only to run after Okada People, it is not only about security and do you know that fire is causing more death than Boko-haram?”

He added: “We are lucky in Nigeria or let’s say Lagos, that we have never had a terrible high-rise building fire, you would have known the number of death recorded.”

The veteran fire engineer said the firm is determined to create awareness among Nigerians on ways to combat the ever increasing incidents of fire outbreaks amidst the several brutal cases reported across the nation in recent weeks.

He lamented many have fallen victims of fire outbreaks because they fail to acquire fire control technologies like extinguishers, hydrants and other similar technologies.

He stated those who suffer fire incidents despite having those technologies lack the skills to use them suitably.

“Just about three days ago, inside Magodo, very close to my house, we watched a whole house come down.

“The whole thing came down because fire, within three minutes, grows into an inferno and when fire has grown into inferno, you cannot tackle it, only the fire service can tackle it.

“That is why people need to be careful and they need to have what they need to have in place. It is not about the weather alone.

“Even, when the weather is still okay, you need to be very sensitive about everything you are doing, you need to understand that you need the right equipment.

“Many people are buying the equipment but are not buying the right one anyways.”

He noted that the public must know not all fire extinguishers are original and those that are original may not be well suited.

He urged government to seek professional means to acquire fire and security control systems.

“Two things I advise people to do: when you finish building the first thing you must do is insure your house.

“Then before you finish, don’t use quack electrical personnel. They are responsible for the fire incidents because they buy anyhow cable and we are fond of something in Nigeria.

“All our pipes are inside the wall. When the cable begin to get burnt, for you to take it out is always an issue.

“So, you need to use a qualified or certified electrician who will give you what you need to buy. When you use a qualified person, he will give you the quality cable that you need,” he advised.

The UK-trained safety expert decried the attitude of people towards safety.

He advised that the people should treat things that concerns safety as important as how they care about eating foods.

“Most times because of cost implication, people will say this thing is too expensive for me.

“If I will advise you will need fire proof cable, because there is no way it will get burnt even when hot.”

“After building, put fire extinguisher… ordinary three or two bedroom bungalow cost nothing less than N5million in Nigeria of today, forget about where you buy the land.

“Then, what is N30,000 or N50,000, which the cost of fire extinguisher is that you cannot put in your house to protect you?

He added: “It is not only for you to buy fire extinguisher, you also need to be trained by whosoever sell fire extinguishers.

“Don’t just go to market that you want to buy fire extinguisher, because fire extinguisher is for life and death.

“When anything happens you can use it to escape death, but when you don’t have it, people will just shout and find you dead in the house.”