Young Samson joined the Fire Samson over three decades ago with just a School Certificate and to the least position, but with dint of dedication and hard work he grew to become the acting Controller General of Fire, missing confirmation largely due to politics and less due to efficiency and capability because he was perhaps the best brain the Federal Fire Service has ever had having gotten a PhD in his years growing up in the system.
The story of Samson is a story of what a nation Nigeria has become that a mighty tree is always let without the full honour it always deserve.
Abraham Olatubosun brings you his story/
In the Beginning…
Dr Karebo Pere Samson would always gladly refer to himself simply as the Fireman and not a Fire Officer, has a very humble beginning. He joined the Federal Fire Service as a 21-year old recruit fireman with just an ‘O’ level education background but very eager to make impact. He always asked most times ‘dumb’ questions and a times getting punished for too many questions.
That was when he was cutting his teeth in the service of the FFS and in an Era of Ignorance where no inquisitive questions were permitted.
Not satisfied with the punishments and with the desire to make a name for himself, Karebo enrolled with the Institute of Fire Engineers in Leicester, England as a student engineer exactly three months after he graduated from the Federal Fire Service Training School Surulere with the Best All Round Recruit Award.
Challenges…
Growing up through the ranks with the Structure of the Service geared towards a repressive attitude towards education was bad enough, and coming from an Arts background to jump into the sciences of fire engineering was very much a challenge. But Samson pressed on and passed the stages 4 and 3 exams of the Institute which are the Preliminary Certificate and Graduates examinations respectively. With his success in academics, Samson got upgraded to Sub officer, thereby skipping two grades by virtue of processing a fire engineers certificate. Not rest on his oars, he swiftly got admission into the Lagos State University, Ojo to study English and Literary Studies.
Turning Point…
It is no hidden secret that the Federal Fire Service got pulled back by 25 years of visionless administration by the band of engineers who crossed over from the ministry of works and housing, they practically destroyed the Service. For the whole period in review no fire trucks were procured but the management only wanted to do away with the old firemen they met on ground who they refered to as illiterates and formulated secret polices to dismiss the men through the back door. They however ran out of ideas on how to go about closing the entity known as the Federal Fire Service.
During this period, well over 50 officers were forced out of the service for lack of requisite certificates for the rank they occupied and this exercise pushed Samson Karebo further on the seniority list of the Federal Fire Service as he was
holding then a Masters degree from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria on Disaster Risk Management and Environmental Studies.
Samson Karebo, who can best be described as the proverbial cat with nine lives, got posted to barren unproductive isolated areas since 2010 working most times outside Abuja away from family members with no accommodation or posting allowance to cushion the hardship of working outside Abuja…from Sheda, the National Fire Academy where he served for six months to Awka where he was for eight months to Enugu where he spent 15 months to to Asaba which took eight months of his life in the FFS to Benin where he contributed 11 months and then to his home state capital Yenagoa where he was made to spend paltry four months.
He was made to have this tortuous time because he was one of the few firemen in the midst of fraudulent usurpers with the mind of chasing out all the firemen in the FFS. He was made to moan in silent as he had nobody to run, being saddled by the oath of secrecy binding all civil servants
Becoming the Acting Controller General of Fire and not allowed to the Substantive Position…
Samson Karebo by providence was appointed the Acting Controller-General on the retirement of CGFS Liman Ibrahim as he was the most qualified fire officer around, and by the provisions of the Public Service Rules..a CGFS is appointed being the most senior officer after the retirement of an incumbent. Many believed that he would be given the substantive position but nay! Leading up to 2020 the retired CGFS Liman Ibrahim was given 18 months extension thereby eating into the service period of those in line. The extension was too sweet for him so he applied for another six months which the Minister did not accede to. But by giving him the first extension the Minister is alleged to have erred by not applying the Rules which stipulates the time of the next in rank also. But the question now is why is the Minister applying the Rules now
The hatred and Conspiracy within the FFS…
The FFS has been superintended by the EVILS OF THE SOCIETY with no love for the men on the field. Over 289 staff have been redundant and stagnated for over 20 years! Special Promotion is done depending on “who’s friend is your friend or who is your relative in the service or at the Board!” This has stopped for sometimes now, it is hoped that it does not creep back. Samson Karebo is forced to take a bow, hope the FFS will not degenerate and would be allowed to offer the service it was created for.
