Ariaria Traders Want Fire Service Station

Traders in Ariaria International Market in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia, have appealed to the state government to establish a fire station in the market as a matter of priority.

Chief Stanley Ijeoma, the Chairman, Ariaria Market Traders Association, told newsmen  in an interview in Aba on Monday, that it would help to address the incessant fire outbreaks in the market.

He explained that the traders and small-scale industrialists in the market had suffered huge losses from fire outbreaks that could have been averted, if there had been a fire station in the market.

He recalled that the market had a fire station at inception which closed down indefinitely due to the lack of interest by the past administrations in the state.

“We do not have fire-fighting equipment in the market as at today.

“A previous administration had shut down the obsolete no longer good for use fire station, leaving the market without any,” he said.

Ijeoma said that the market at present , was without the services of firemen and fighting equipment, adding that the situation was worrisome.

He appealed to Gov. Theodore Orji to re-establish a fire station to protect the property of traders in the event of a fire outbreak.

The association chairman noted that the market was also lacking several other infrastructure, including accessible road network, water and electricity.

“ You need to come to the market and see for yourself what the traders and customers suffer during rainy season.

“You cannot enter “A’’ line if it is raining; but we are making efforts with the 102 line chairmen in the market for proper administration.

“ Our clothes get soaked with dirty water from blocked gutter; customers hardly come to patronise us; this is just a little of what we go through in the market,” he said.

Tides source reports that the indiscriminate electrical installations by the traders are said to be among the major causes of fire outbreaks in the market.

But Ijeoma said that the problem was already being addressed by a private firm contracted by the traders.