The chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Prof. Adeolu Akande, has commiserated with traders who lost their properties during a recent fire inferno at Agodi Parts market in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
OYOINSIGHT recalls that traders lost properties worth millions of naira following a fire outbreak that razed shops in the market in the early hours of Saturday.
In a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday evening, the Otu-born politician described the fire incident as an unfortunate occurence.
“I received the news of the incident with utter shock. I am yet to process the consequences of the incident of the lives of the families of the hundreds of traders affected,” Akande said.
He called on the Seyi Makinde led administration in the state to provide palliatives for victims of the incident as soon as possible to reduce the impact of the lost properties.
He also noted that the governor should also take proactive steps to ensure future fire incidents in the state can be curtailed within the shortest possible period.
Akande noted that the frequency of fire outbreaks and violence in the markets across the state is indicative of underlying crisis that the government should address and rectify.
Akande noted that markets are not only supposed to serve traders and the public for the exchange of goods and services. They should be places of comfort for traders and their customers through the availability of conveniences and provisions for easy evacuation of traders and customers in moments of crisis.
He implored Governor Seyi Makinde to also addresses the plalnlessnesss that characterize many markets in the state,a situation that makes it practically impossible for emergency services to be provided for traders on occasions of emergency.
” Government should move away from seeing the markets only as avenues for collection of levies. They should be handled as centres of development through which government can reach our teeming population with the provision of water,conveniences,security,healthcare services and security”, he concluded.
