Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has said that the state government will assist victims of fire that occurred at the Eziukwu Road Market in Aba.

Mr Otti made the promise on Tuesday while addressing the traders during his visit to assess the extent of damage by the fire.

The governor commiserated with the affected traders and urged them to be resilient and not allow the incident to dampen their spirit.

Mr Otti, who recalled a similar incident that occurred at Ahia Ohuru on January 27, admonished the traders to be cautious and apply safety rules to prevent recurrence.

He said, “It’s disheartening to witness such devastation but we must learn from this and take precautions to avoid such tragedies in the future.’’

The governor said that the deplorable state of many shops in the market raised questions about the integrity of the structures.

According to him, the poor condition of the shops in the market underscores the need for urgent action to be taken to address safety concerns and modernise the market to prevent future fire.

Mr Otti also assured the traders that the government would expedite action to improve the infrastructure in the market.

“This would help to ensure the safety of the traders and their customers,” he said.

He further said that the market would be transformed into a modern market with the necessary facilities.

He added, “If you look at the shops, you will agree with me that a lot of them need some modernisation and renovation. Some of them need to be pulled down and rebuilt. Like I promised to do in Ngwa Road, I also will do it here. If you take a look at these shops, you will see that their integrity is questionable. It looks like something that will collapse soon. As a responsible government, we would not allow it to happen.’’

He directed the Greater Aba Development Agency and other relevant agencies to commence the rehabilitation of the market to address its structural defects.

He thanked the people of Abia for their support and affirmed his administration’s determination to fulfill his campaign promises.

A section of the market was gutted by fire on Monday night with goods worth millions of naira destroyed. The incident happened barely two weeks after a similar fire outbreak destroyed a section of Ahia Ohuru on Ngwa Road with goods worth millions of naira. 

(NAN)