The Lagos State Government (LASG) has appointed Mrs Margaret Adeseye as the Acting Director of the Lagos State Fire Service.

Adeseye becomes the first female fire officer to be appointed into the position of acting director of the organisation established about 37 years ago.

The appointment followed the retirement of the director, Mr Rasaki Musibau and 30 other senior officers who were officially pulled out from the service on Monday after they had put in 35 years.

Adeseye in her address during the ceremony held at the fire service headquarters, Alausa in Ikeja commended the retired director for his good leadership.

She described his `Squad 11’ of the service as a team that recorded laudable achievements.

“I felicitate with `Squad 11’ of the Lagos State Fire Service, a team blessed with heroes of inestimable values who made sacrifices to succeed their hallmark. They are retiring today from the State public service after long and meritorious service years to the development of our dear state. You saw, you fought and today, you have conquered.’’

The acting director said that those they were leaving behind were happy because the retirees had assured them of their readiness to be available anytime they were called upon.

The director urged those still in service to continue to strive for excellence despite the numerous challenges.

She said that with hard work and perseverance, success would surely come their ways.

The retiring director, Mr Rasaki Musibau, in his remarks described the 15 months he was head of the Lagos State Fire Service as short but a remarkable period with purposeful leadership.

He appreciated God for granting him the grace to serve the state for 35 years.

Musibau said that he was fortunate to have worked with brilliant and dedicated senior and junior officers while in service.

He said all those he worked with had impacted positively on his career and advised those still in service to continue in that spirit.

He said that one of his achievements as director was the installation of Radio Network Communication gadgets in seven sub-stations of the establishment.

He said that firemen could now communicate conveniently with each other from different parts of the state.

Musibau appealed to the Lagos State Government to look into the welfare and training of the firemen by increasing their hazard allowance and improving their knowledge about the job through trainings.

He also called on the government to equip the   service for maximum results, stressing that only a well-equipped service would be able to save lives and properties.

On the appointment of a woman as the acting director, Musibau said, “whatever a man can do, a woman can do same”.

He advised the acting director to always be on the road whenever the service receives  calls for emergencies, saying the job does not required sitting in the office.

Musibau, however, said that his saddest day in the service was when he was kidnapped on April 6, 2019, which he described as an ‘unforgettable day’.

He thanked his family, colleagues and friends who paid the N5million ransom before his kidnappers released him.

The Lagos State Head of Service (HOS), Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola, in his address congratulated the retirees for their meritorious services to the state and urged them to be good ambassadors of the state anywhere they go.

The HOS represented by his Personal Staff Officer, Mr Ajibade Samson, said the   state government was planning to employ more graduates to replace the retired and the retiring staff members.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that family members of the retirees, their friends as well as the staff of the Fire Service attended the ceremony. (NAN)