...Commends FG on fire truck

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has dedicated the Distinguished COVID-19 Response Champion Award to the state's COVID-19 committee in appreciation of its hard work and sacrifice in the fight against the scourge.

The award was conferred on the governor in Abuja by the National Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (NAMLS) in recognition of his administration's efforts in mitigating the spread of the pandemic in the state.

Senator Diri stated this during the courtesy visit of the NAMLS executive led by the president, Prof. James Damen, to Government House, Yenagoa, on Tuesday.

A press release by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, on Wednesday said the governor expressed gratitude to the association for the honour and for recognising his administration's developmental strides in the health sector.

Recalling the period of the outbreak of the pandemic, Governor Diri described it as an "excruciating season in Bayelsa State when the committee against all odds ensured the enforcement of all COVID-19 guidelines and protocols."

Diri welcomed the request for Bayelsa to host the association's annual conference, noting that it would afford participants the opportunity to savour the hospitality of Bayelsans as well as the peaceful atmosphere of the state.

In his remarks, the NAMLS president, Prof. James Damen, said medical laboratory scientists play a pivotal role in effective health delivery.

He stated that the association conferred the Distinguished COVID-19 Response Champion Award on Senator Diri having been adjudged the best performing governor in the South-South.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Pabara Igwele, received the plaque on behalf of the state's COVID-19 committee.

Also on Tuesday, Governor Diri commended the Federal Government for the provision of another fire truck for the state fire service.

The governor gave the commendation while commissioning the fire truck in Government House, Yenagoa.

He said the truck would aid the operations of the service in the state as well as complement the effort of the government in combating fire incidents in the state capital and adjoining communities.

The governor thanked the Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service as well as the Deputy Controller-General, Mr. Samson Karebo, an indigene of the state, for facilitating the process and joining hands with the government to tackle some of its challenges.

"Let me appreciate the Controller-General and also our son, who is the Deputy Controller-General. He has been relating with this state and knowing the challenges of our fire service, he has been there also as an ambassador of Bayelsa."

Earlier in his remarks, the Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Dr. Liman Ibrahim, represented by the Deputy Controller-General, expressed the willingness of the Federal Government to assist states' fire service, noting however that the project was capital intensive.

He said: “We all know that fire and safety duty is not one man's job. It is money gulping. So, if we as the federal fire service leave this to the states, it would run their budget dry.

“However, we have teamed up with all the governors and the various directors of state fire service to assist in the way we can.”

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