Written By: Michael Ezenwata
Wednesday, October 16, 2019 was a day Ndi Anambra, Ndigbo and Nigerians will not forget in a hurry. Just like the Americans will perpetually bemoan the tragedy of the September 11, 2001 terrorists attacks that extinct the World Trade Centre in New York, Nigerians affected by the petrol tanker conflagration that engulfed some parts of the Ochanja market and later Omagba Phase two in Onitsha will always live with the sad memories of their irreparable losses.
However, the fire incidents have been over politicized and blames apportioned to undermine the authorities that be. Before casting aspersions on the authorities, some critical issues need to be addressed. On the Ochanja market incident, a major factor that was alleged to be responsible for the delay in extinguishing the fire was the activities of hoodlums who prevented the fire men from operating.
The pertinent questions yearning for answers are: what occasioned the apathy from a certain category of people against the fire fighters? Who are they? Who are beating the drums for them? What are their motives? Should we blame the blockage of the pathways to the affected spots by street traders as one of the major inhibiting factors towards quenching the fire expectedly?
The fact remains that situations like these are often used by some critics to score cheap political points. A careful study of the responsiveness of the Governor Willie Obiano administration towards the incident portrayed a sincere commitment towards taking the bull by the horns to arrest the situation.
Like a game changer at every given situation, the governor swung into action by visiting the scenes of the incidents to commiserate with the affected persons. He immediately set up a panel of inquiry to determine the causes of the accidents, why the firemen could not put off the fire at Ochanja on time and opening of a bank account to assist the victims. The state government equally announced plans to buy more fire trucks, sink boreholes and construct access roads in markets in the state. The legislative arm of government was not left out in its concern as the house aborted its budget defence proceeding to hold an emergency meeting to discuss ways of averting future fire incidents. The house, thereafter, set up a committee to look into the matter.
To avert future occurrences, proactive steps should be taken, both by the government and the citizenry. On the part of government, calculated steps should be taken to position fire fighting trucks in all major markets in the state.
Secondly, fire fighters should be re-trained on modern fire fighting techniques and equipped with sophisticated fire fighting kits and fire proof overall to safeguard their lives. Government should equally create major access ways in every market and dislodge all forms of street trading for easy access to fire fighters in case of fire accidents.
Besides, fire fighters should, in every operation, be accompanied by heavily armed security personnel to forestall looters and miscreants who may want to take advantage of the situation.
Furthermore, a long term strategy for the federal government is to abolish all forms of open haulage of petroleum products by trucks and its replacement by underground piping of the products as is obtainable in developed countries.
Again, government should organize more workshops on fire disaster management strategies both for the fire fighting professionals and the general public as some proactive measures. Besides, other state governments should emulate the Anambra state government who restricted movement of petroleum tankers within the state.
On the part of the citizenry, traders should hearken to the directive of the Anambra state government that all forms of street trading are banned. The citizenry should ensure that in situations like fire outbreaks, they should also be their brothers’ keepers by assisting the fire victims in rescue operations and not using the opportunity to be robbers and miscreants.
The task of building a better society rests on the government and the governed. Both should work in synergy for it to move forward. Now that the harmattan season is here, let the general public brace for the challenges it brings.
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