Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike on Wednesday donated N500 million to support the Sokoto State Government in rebuilding the Sokoto Central Market ravaged by fire on Tuesday morning.

Mr. Wike who visited the scene of the market inferno barely 24 hours after the disaster, expressed shock and dismay over the incident.

Muhammad Bello, spokesman to governor Aminu Tambuwal disclosed this in a statement in Sokoto on Wednesday.

The Rivers governor said part of the donation was to also support the victims of the inferno.

He noted that whatever affected Sokoto concerned Rivers, adding that his administration would ensure that the affected market was reconstructed and made functional.

Ironically, Peoples Gazette on Sunday reported how traders in Rivers are moaning over the continued shut down of markets in Port Harcourt, causing untold hardships and harassment to peasant traders.

Earlier, Mr. Tambuwal, while conducting Mr. Wike round the fire disaster scene, explained that the market had 16,000 shops out of which at least 60 percent were affected by the fire.

He said when the fire broke out the relevant state government agencies and those of the federal authorities within the state were mobilised to control it.

After inspecting the scene, Mr. Wike and his entourage also paid a courtesy visit to the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar in his palace.

He condoled with the state government, the Sultanate Council and the people over the death of the state Commissioner for Home Affairs, Abdulkadir Abubakar, the younger brother of the Sultan.

In his response, Mr. Abubakar, who noted the age-long relationship between Sokoto and Rivers, expressed gratitude to the governor for his visit and support to the state

He commended Mr. Tambuwal for his prudent management of the state resources, a performance which fetched it a World Bank grant under the State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability And Sustainability (SFTAS) programme.