THE Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has commissioned another fire service trucks newly bought for the state.
Adeleke, while commissioning the three new fire service trucks on Wednesday at Abere, Osogbo, said he was deeply concerned by the bad state of the fire service facilities, hence, his commitment to strengthening fire safety and emergency response services in the state.
According to him, “the last procurement of fire trucks had occurred over fourteen (14) years ago, a situation that was both alarming and unacceptable. I knew that immediate and strategic intervention was necessary.
“Today, I am proud to announce that this administration has taken decisive steps to revive the Osun State Fire Service. We have so far procured seven (7) modern fire trucks and one (1) water tanker to significantly boost our emergency response capacity.
“In addition, we have supplied essential firefighting equipment, including protective gears to ensure our brave officers are well-equipped, well-prepared, and adequately protected in the line of duty. We have also prioritized the training of our fire officers so they can respond to emergencies with professionalism and efficiency.
“The commissioning of these additional three (3) fire trucks underscores our administration’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding lives and property. These assets will greatly improve the responsiveness and efficiency of our fire service, giving our citizens peace of mind and renewed confidence in the system.”
Also, Governor Adeleke stressed the need for proper management and regular maintenance of the fire trucks, saying, “These trucks must be kept in optimal condition to ensure their longevity and reliability.”
“As we celebrate this progress, I wish to remind everyone of my earlier promise to ensure equitable distribution of resources across the state. It remains my goal to provide at least one (1) fire truck to each of the nine (9) Federal Constituencies in Osun State and one at the Fire Service Headquarters.
“With the commissioning of these three (3) trucks, we are now closer to fulfilling that pledge. Plans are already underway to procure the remaining trucks, ensuring that every region in our state is adequately equipped for emergency response,” he promised.
At the commissioning, the State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Abdulrosheed Aderigbigbe, emphasised that Adeleke has unwavering commitment to safety and wellbeing of citizens, noting that “Since inception, he has been consistently demonstrating his dedication to this cause by providing Fire Tenders in four (04) Federal Constituencies.”
“The procurement of this new set of three (03) additional Fire Tenders he is commissioning today implies that he has successfully provided seven (07) Federal Constituencies out of nine (09) despite the dwindling economy / paucity of fund is a testament of his vision and passion for this sector and the entire populace of the State.
“Furthermore, it is not an overstatement to conclude that this administration has made a remarkable milestone in the history of the State in the various provision of infrastructure in almost all the sectors. It should be noted that Osun State Fire Service has been using the old Fire tenders inherited from the old Oyo State. The only administration that procured fire tender was Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola’s led administration while Rauf Aregbesola just carried out repairs,” he added.
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The Commissioner also urged the state fire officers and other stakeholders to work together in ensuring effective utilisation of the acquired resources.