Olushola Omogbehin
In its commitment to strengthen professionalism, public safety and operational readiness, the Federal Fire Service has decorated 2,620 newly promoted officers.
In the ceremony which was held at its headquarters in Abuja, the decoration marked the elevation of officers to various ranks across the service.
Speaking during the decoration on Wednesday, the Controller General of the service, Samuel Olumode Adeyemi, said the promotion exercise is an outcome of many years of commitment,and institutional scrutiny.
Those promoted include five Deputy Controllers of Fire, eight Assistant Controllers of Fire, 103 Chief Superintendents of Fire, 86 Superintendents of Fire, 1,912 Senior Fire Officers, and 152 Senior Fire Officers I, among others.
He therefore admonished the promoted officers to lead with vision and uphold the values of this Service.
“I commend the officers and men of the Service for their discipline, sacrifice, and understanding in complying with that directive in the interest of national safety.
“To our newly promoted senior officers, today marks a turning point. Your decoration is not merely a reward for past service; it is a call to higher standards. Your new ranks demand stronger leadership, deeper discipline, clearer judgment, and unwavering integrity. Lead by example, respect the chain of command, embrace innovation, and remember always that authority exists to serve.”
“From day one, my focus has been clear and simple: to reposition the Federal Fire Service for efficiency, sustained operational readiness, and effective public safety delivery, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration.
“That focus guided our actions. One of my early steps was direct engagement with our personnel. I undertook morale-boosting tours of fire stations within the Federal Capital Territory Command, not as a formality, but to speak directly with officers and men, listen to them, assess operational realities, and reassure them that leadership is present, attentive, and supportive.
“We also made deliberate efforts to strengthen welfare and institutional compassion. The Service approved and presented financial cheques to families of officers who paid the ultimate price in the line of duty, as well as to personnel injured while serving the nation. In addition, we reviewed the interest-free welfare loan scheme upward, increasing access from ₦300,000 to ₦500,000 per beneficiary, alongside the distribution of rice palliatives to ease the burden on our personnel. Welfare is not a privilege; it is a responsibility and we will continue to build on it.
“We equally prioritised human capacity development. Over seven hundred (700) trainees are currently undergoing intensive fire and emergency response training in Jos, Plateau State.
“In addition, the Service conducted large-scale specialised training at Armed Forces Command Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State, under the exercise Haske Biyu programme, which recorded an even higher number of participating officers. This exercise significantly enhanced tactical competence, discipline, and inter-agency collaborations.
“We also invested in leadership development through a five-day executive training programme for senior and mid-level officers, ensuring that leadership at all levels remains adaptive, ethical, and performance-driven”.
