Jude Diugwu
Staff and critical stakeholders in rescue and emergency management, have kicked against lobby for extension of retirement of the outgoing Controller General of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), Abdulganiyu Jaji.
According to findings, the staffers are insisting on his retirement over alleged financial impropriety, corruption, mismanagement, mediocrity, ineptitude and lack of vision.
Jaji, whose tenure will expire in August 2025 after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60th years is expected to proceed on a three-month pre-retirement leave.
However, he is still carrying out the functions of the office disregarding previous directives and the provisions of the extant Public Service Rules.
The Fire Service boss is reportedly lobbying for two years extension beyond the compulsory retirement age.
The outgoing FFS Controller-General incurred the anger of the staff of the Service following the release of some money on 29th December, 2024 as palliative to staff to cushion the effects of the removed fuel subsidy.
However, without recourse to the welfare of officers, for over a year now, the fund was unspent and unaccounted for.
Eventually, the money is said to have been traced to a company account portraying a hidden and suspicious motive.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was reported to have invited the embattled Controller-General and the top management of the FFS over the alleged diversion of the money for palliative, while investigations by the anti-graft agency are ongoing.
According to one of the FFS officers who craved for anonymity due to obvious reasons, “We (officers) waited in vain for the disbursement of the palliative to bring scores to the untold hardship brought about by the high cost of living and inflation that followed the new reforms.
The EFCC knows of the criminal activities surrounding the fund and the deliberate delay in spending it. We’re awaiting to hear the outcome of their investigations.
“We are calling on our proactive President Bola Tinubu to direct the EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies to diligently unravel the truth and let Nigerians know what makes the disbursement of the money for palliative to linger so long”.
It was also gathered that the FFS Controller-General has practically retarded the growth of the Service by taking it backwards. This has adversely affected the operational progress earlier recorded.
Prior to the elevation of Jaji to the position of Controller-General, his predecessors had expanded the operations of the Service to all the 36 states, with additional six Zonal Commands, beyond Abuja and Lagos state where fire fighting operations were visibility present.
Operational vehicles, gadgets and other fire fighting equipment were also distributed to all the States and Zonal Offices of the FFS but since Jaji came into office, no appliances have been added to the fleet. The most worrisome scenario is that virtually all the equipment he inherited are now grounded as even the FFS headquarters cannot make provisions for ordinary fuel for the State offices.
“Lack of maintenance, lack of ordinary diesel, and other operational appliances made the Federal Fire Service in the States very ineffective. Since from January, 2025 to date, no single State Command of the Service has been able to fuel or service its appliances due non-release of fund arising from poor administrative management at the National Headquarters. One wonders how they’ll be able to effectively fight fire to guarantee public safety and security.
“This accounts for the gross attacks on fire officers and appliances by aggrieved members of the public at the scenes of most fire incidents” disclosed one of the officers who preferred his name not to be mentioned.
“The Controller-General lacks the necessary innovation and leadership qualities to position the Federal Fire Service to a world class standard, in line with the vision of the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of Mr. President. No doubt, the tenure of Jaji in Federal Fire Service is characterized by a decline in the morale of officers as his tenure is replete with clannish favoritism.”
