NEMA warns against bush burning

AS the planting season commences, the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) has warned against bush burning by farmers and hunters.The South-West Coordinator of NEMA, Mr. Iyiola Akande,  gave the warning at Aiyetoro in Ogun State, while speaking at a one day sensitisation campaign against bush fire disaster in the region.He described fire as one of the greatest human induced disasters in the country and lamented that the high incidence of fire had led to loss of lives, property and means of livelihood.He said, Farmers always engage in bush burning in a bid to clear their farm land when the planting season approaches and this has, on numerous occasions, led to uncontrollable disaster.Akande, who said that hunters had also been known to start forest fires in an attempt to catch animals, said that this equally led to serious fire outbreak.This sensitisation campaign is geared towards creating awareness on ways to prevent or mitigate the impact of bush fire disaster in our communities.It is also aimed at enlightening the members of the communities to be more proactive in reducing and preventing fire disasters, he remarked.He counseled the participants on the need to maintain fire disaster-free environment, expressing the hope that they would be agents of change in their respective communities.Mr Musibau Onanuga, who represented the state Fire and Safety Services, identified fire as both the friend and enemy of people.Onanuga,  added that fire outbreak could be very dangerous, warned against negligence, both at home and at work, saying that fire outbreaks must be prevented.Ordinarily, fire is supposed to be a friend to the people when properly utilised; we must be careful in the usage of light and fire, both at industrial and domestic levels.Fire that starts in the morning can burn till the following day in as much as it gets combustible to feed it, he explained.Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Mr Olukoya Adeleke-Adedoyin, commended NEMA for organising the workshop, saying that it was timely.Adeleke-Adedoyin implored the participants to take the opportunity of the sensitisation campaign to prevent fire outbreaks and loss of lives and property.
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