Fire Disaster: RVHA Commiserates With The Tide, Others

The Rivers State House of Assembly, has joined the league of sympathisers to commiserate with the management and staff of the state Newspaper Corporation over the unforuante fire incident that gutted the Media house.

Addressing Assembly correspondents last Thursday in Port Harcourt, the Chairman, House Comiittee on Information and Training, Hon. Onari Brown, said the Assembly was saddened by the recent fire occurrences in the state.

Hon. Brown, said the inferno at the corporate office of The Tide Newspapers destroyed equipment and property worth millions of Naira, stressing that the fire razed some part of the second floor of the building, affecting the General Manager’s office, Credit Control, Legal dept and Boardroom.

According to the Information Committee Chairman on the same day, another media house, Silverbird 93.7 Rhythm FM radio and television stations had its engineering section badly damaged by fire.

Similarly, a vessel went up in flames at the Abulomma Jetty and the resultant explosion had about 30 persons feared dead, even as the exact number of persons on board the oil vessel could not be determined”, he declared.

He noted that these came barely few days after the Okogbe tanker fire in Ahoada West Local Government Area that claimed over 100 lives and dozens badly burnt following the incident and the Igwuruta tanker fire that led to the death of seven persons, 81 commercial and residential houses destroyed.

Hon. Brown said the House of Assembly commiserates with the families that lost their loved ones and property, as well as condole the state governor, chairmen of the affected local government areas and the entire residents of the state over the unfortunate disaster.

However, the chairman, thanked the state governor for the swift action to provide relief materials to victims of the infernos and the steps taken to equip the state fire service for effective response.

The House commended NEMA, Commissioner for Information, doctors and the Hospital Management for rising to the challenge, pointing out that some committees of the House had visited most of the affected areas and have been directed to investigate, the causes of the accidents and report back to the house expeditiously.

The lawmaker explained that the Assembly admonished those involved in haulage and sale of petroleum products to be careful and those engaged in diversion of the products to desist forthwith as the law enforcement agencies are ready to prosecute culprits.