By Victoria Onehi
The Controller General, Federal Fire Service (FFS), Olumode Adeyemi Samuel, has inaugurated the Special Task Force on Public and Private Building Audit at the Service Headquarters, Abuja.
This is geared towards strengthening fire safety compliance and to enhance national resilience.
The event, themed “Strengthening Fire Safety Compliance in Public Buildings: A Call to Action for National Resilience,” underscores the renewed commitment of the Federal Fire Service to be proactive about fire risk management and the prevention of avoidable disasters.
In his address, the Controller General noted that the increasing frequency of fire incidents across major cities such as the recent Afritower fire in Lagos and the Abuja plaza fires underscores the urgent need for stricter enforcement of fire safety standards in public and commercial buildings.
He stated that the newly inaugurated Task Force has been mandated to:
1. Map public buildings nationwide and classify their respective fire risk levels;
2. Inspect facilities to determine their level of compliance with fire safety regulations; and
3. Provide comprehensive recommendations to guide enforcement actions and policy decisions.
In a statement signed by National PRO / Head, Corporate Services,DCF P.O. Abraham, the Controller General reaffirmed the Service’s unwavering commitment to protecting lives, property, and critical national assets, emphasising that “fire safety is not a choice but a shared responsibility.”
The Task Force, chaired by Assistant Controller General Bolarinde Tajudeen Muhammed, Head of the Inspection, Investigation, and Enforcement (I.I.E.) Department, comprises senior officers including the Deputy Controller of Operations (FCT Command), Provost Marshal, National Public Relations Officer, and the Legal Director as Secretariat.
Declaring the Task Force inaugurated, the Controller General charged members to carry out their assignment with professionalism, integrity, and full dedication to the Service’s mandate of safeguarding public and private spaces.
He further urged owners and managers of public, private, and high-rise buildings to extend maximum cooperation to the Task Force during the audit exercise.
