Abandoned fire trucks, waste of government resources — Abuja residents

News Agency Of Nigeria

May 19, 2019 5:09 PM

Some residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Sunday decried the abandonment of 10 Fire trucks at the National stadium, describing it as a waste of government resources and tax payers money.

Abandoned Fire Service equipment inside Abuja National stadium (RConnect)

In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, the residents said that the Federal Government kept approving money for fire trucks while more than 10 fire trucks were rotting away at the stadium.

Mr Enitan Oyekanmi said that over 10 fire service trucks had been abandoned at the national stadium for over 16 years, since the COJA organised All African games took place in 2003.

He said that government should repair those abandoned trucks rather than approving money for more trucks for the fire service which lacked equipment.

“Those fire trucks were bought during COJA Games around 2003, and as at that time I was working with City Express Bank.

“Those trucks have been parked there since that time and were not used for the games, after the games they were not even distributed or moved away, the trucks have been abandoned there for the past 16 years, I think it’s a sheer waste of tax payers’ money.

“As individuals we will never buy cars and park them for 16 years and not use them, ironically right now you will find out that government is currently buying fire trucks for fire stations.

“Another key thing is, Nigeria has fire problems in so many markets, I know of Nasarawa and Kano, so are these not equipment we can use to solve the problem,” he said.

Oyekanmi said government should distribute the trucks to various fire stations to help fight fire outbreaks all over the country.

“It is equally important that If there is an emergency fire situation in the stadium, it is important that we have fire trucks but I am sure the fire service unit in the stadium will have its own trucks.

“Even if it’s within the fire stations in Abuja, it can solve some problems. I think we have to be rational as Nigerians; we cannot abandon things and waste tax payers money.

“If we go out and find out the cost of these trucks,the money can be used to build hospitals, schools and can do so many things, I think the government should look at it and resolve it.”

Also, Mr Clement Ayan, the Stadium Unit Supervisor, said that he was employed in 2010 and he met the abandoned trucks at the stadium.

“I met those trucks here when I was employed in 2010, they have been abandoned before I came and I don’t know if they are functioning, the fire service in the stadium is very well effective.

“The stadium fire service is active so I don’t see why they haven’t evacuated these trucks here for years now, which is a waste of resources.”

Mr Mark Yusuf, a security guard at the stadium, said that the trucks were brought to the stadium by FCT fire service.

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“These trucks here are from FCT fire service, they just brought them here for safety, it doesn’t belong to the ministry, they just requested for the packing space and it has been here since COJA games.

“I have been working here since 2014 and there hasn’t been any use of the trucks, but last year the Fire Service Commandant made moves to have the trucks moved from here.

“When the Minister of Sports (Solomon Dalung) was appointed, the first thing that came to his attention was those abandoned trucks and requested that the trucks should be evacuated.

“The Fire Service Commandant came here last year December with the hope that he was going to do something to the trucks but nothing was done, they are still here.”

News Agency Of Nigeria