Local businesses and residents have been cautioned about the risks of selling kerosene, diesel, and engine oil below the high-tension wire by the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Director of Forecasting, Response, and Mitigation for FEMA, Mrs Florence Wenegieme, gave the warning on Thursday while educating sellers and customers at Abuja's Kubwa Village market on fire protection.
Wenegieme was upset to see persons re-entering the market to sell petroleum products due to the kerosene-related fire explosion in 2022.
She said, "Today, we are in Kubwa market. This place, the market in Kubwa village, was the site of a kerosene explosion.
“This is a location where a lady was selling kerosene, and another woman was frying bean cake (Akara). There was an explosion, and we were involved in the rescue operation.
“Since, then we used to come here to carry out sensitisation to talk to them and advise them on the dos and don’ts in disasters of different kinds.”
She said during the dry season, the agency discouraged traders from selling petroleum products outside, as per regulations, and that such products should be offered solely at fuel stations instead.
“But if you look around, you will see people selling petroleum products like kerosene, diesel, and engine oil under the high-tension wire.
“Looking in front of us, we have a generator mechanic and somebody selling kerosene beside a transformer and under the high-tension wire.
“That is why the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, the Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, the Permanent Secretary of FCTA, Mr Olusade Adesola and the Director-General of FEMA, Abbas Idriss, directed us to come out immediately to advise the residents on how to mitigate the incidence of fire outbreak in the territory”.
To prevent further loss of life and property, Wenegieme promised that the agency would increase its efforts to eliminate natural disasters throughout the region.
The director said: “What we are doing here is a continuation of the dry season sensitisation, which we started in Nov. 2022.
“We have been moving from one market to another to enlighten traders on how they can prevent fire outbreaks in the markets.”
She did, however, applaud the market management for installing fire extinguishers at strategic points throughout the market and call for thorough inspections by the FCT Fire Service.
Earlier, Uwadoneh Idorenyin, the Divisional Fire Officer for Kubwa Division, stressed the importance of merchants and people of the FCT avoiding all risk factors that could lead to a fire.
She urged people to keep fire blankets by the stove, not keep any petroleum items in the house, and unplug all electronics before leaving the house.
“And in case of a fire outbreak and you don’t have a fire extinguisher, everybody should leave the market or house and immediately call toll free number 112,” Wenegieme said.