Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has donated N100 million to traders of the burnt Akere Motor Parts and Allied Market in the Olodi Apapa area of the state.

Mr Sanwo-Olu, who visited the burnt site on Wednesday, also laid the foundation for a new market of a storey building.

Inferno gutted Akere Auto Spare Parts Market, Olodi Apapa, Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state, on Wednesday, destroying goods and properties worth millions of naira.

The governor visited the incident scene and pledged to support the traders in assuaging their loss.

He said the efforts were to help alleviate the plight of the traders who lost goods and cash to the fire.

”A week or less ago, we promised to come back here to give immediate support to the people who were affected by the unfortunate incident. This isn’t politics; it’s just a coincidence that it is a political season.

”I’m happy to be here to lay the foundation for the new market building. Now it’s a storey building and the small compensation that will alleviate the suffering and loss of our traders here,” he said.

Mr Sanwo-Olu said the compensation was to prove that his administration was not ethnic or religious biased.

”It’s for us to make a clear stand that we are not about the ethnic or religious division, we are a government that is people-centred and working to make things better for them, no matter what party or where they come from.

”As long as they are law-abiding, keep to laws guiding the environment and respect the heritage of where they do business, they will always be accommodated.

”This will also send a clear message to people who want to divide us that we won’t let a little number disunite a large number of people; we won’t give them a space in Lagos and our government,” Mr Sanwo-Olu said.

The chairman, Ajeromi-Ifelodun LCDA, Fatai Ayoola, thanked the governor for keeping his promise of helping the people.

Mr Ayoola promised that they would reciprocate his good gestures by voting for him on Saturday.

In his response, the chairman of Akere Auto Spare Parts Market, Izuchukwu Uba, thanked Mr Sanwo-Olu for his gesture, promising that the traders’ votes would be for the governor.

(NAN)