BY LAJA THOMAS

The three tiers of government  have been called upon to streamline the roles of fire and rescue and emergency agencies, to ensure discipline, orderliness and professionalism during emergencies as experienced in Sunday’s Dana plane crash at Iju, Lagos.

The agencies include the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, State Emergency Management Agencies, SEMA, as well the Police, Civil Defence Corps, First Aid ambulance Services and Federal Roads Safety Corps FRSC.

The call was made by the Fire Protection Association of Nigeria, FPAN, while reviewing the status of emergency preparedness by responders, as shown at the scene of Dana plane crash.

Briefing newsmen last week in Lagos, the Vice Chairman of the Association, Mr Dominic Aigbogun said: “As far back as 1998 when terrorism was alien to Nigeria, Fire Protection Association of Nigeria has been advocating for fire service restructuring and capacity building for handling of emergency.

The advocacy was carried to Senate during the attempt to amend the 1999 Constitution in the National Assembly, and to the Political reform Committee set up in 2005 by President Olusegun Obasanjo. It is encouraging to note that our submission was given impetus by that committee”.

The association decried what it described as neglect of the fire service sector by government.