By; BALA B. BITRUS, Minna
Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State has noted with concerns the spate of fire incidences in parts of the state with their attendant huge economic losses saying the incidences were alarmingly becoming too many just as he called for immediate measures to check the incidences.
The governor said there was now an overriding need for stakeholders to brainstorm for both preventive measures and firefighting to stop the trend. He said the ugly development have become great cause for concern to the government.
He said it was time therefore to identify the causes of such frequent fire outbreaks in parts of the state to enable government take precautionary measures to check the frequencies of the infernos against future occurrence.
Governor Sani Bello spoke in Bida on Thursday where he had gone to assess the level devastation caused by the inferno which gutted the Etsu Musa Market about a fortnight ago. The Etsu Musa market in the ancient Bida town is reputed to be over a hundred years.
While inspecting the charred remains of the market, governor Sani Bello expressed concern over the frequent fire incidences in parts of the state saying it was time for solutions to be worked out on how to guard against such fire incidences with their econonic losses.
He conveyed sympathy to victims shop owners at the market whose wares and other resources were lost in the fire and the entire emirate over the fire incident.
The governor announced a donation of the sum N20 million to the victims of the fire outbreak. He said the donation was however only a palliative assistance to ease the hardship of the victims as a result of the incident.
He explained that the donation was to enable the victims find ways to start up somewhere again to keep body and soul together just as he announced that a committee would be set up to look at both the cause of the fire and ways for better compensation to those who were affected.
“For the maintime, we are donating the sum of N 20 million cash to those that were affect by the fire disaster. Niger State Emergency Management Agency, (NSEMA), together with a committee that would be set up, would investigate and take stock of the losses suffered by the people to ensure that they are compensated” he said.
The Governor directed the state’s emergency management agency (NSEMA) to provide safety devices especially in markets to avoid further occurance in the proposed new market in case of emergency.
He advised the people to corporate with the committee as they carry out their investigations to ascertain the cause of the fire.
While at the Palace of the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar where the governor had gone to pay a sympathy visit to the traditional ruler who is also the Chairman of the state’s council of traditional rulers, governor prayed urged the victims of the incidence to consider the fire at the market as an act of destiny. He prayed God to replenish the economic losses incurred.
The Etsu Nupe commended the governor for the timely intervention and called on the people to ensure maximum corporation with the committee. He pleaded with the state government to consider rebuilding the burnt market to an ultra modern market in view of its prime importance to citizens in the zone.
