Ikoku Spare Parts Dealers Count Losses

Some traders at the popular Ikoku motor spare parts dealers also known as ‘Mbuka’ at Diobu Mile two, Port Harcourt, Rivers State whose goods were gutted by fire on January 1, 2013, have been counting their losses.

The traders who spoke with The Tide correspondent at the scene of the incident after returning from the yuletide celebration said the incident had thrown them into another era of struggle for survival in this new year.

According to them, they were still having the shock of the news but take solace that no life was lost.

A trader, Mr Justice Amaechi, who is also the sanitation chairman of the market said he is not happy as he lost properties worth millions of naira in the inferno as it had been his only source of  livelihood.

Mr Amaechi, a dealer on Japanese products said he was not in Port Harcourt when the  incident occurred but when he was eventually informed, he came and saw that all his goods were lost and he is now to start life afresh.

He however appealed to the government to assist them and also relocate them to a better site.

Mr Stanley C. Ugwoegbulam, a spare part dealer on Japanese cars also told our correspondent that he lost 12 ‘Mbaka’ cars during the inferno.

Speaking as an eye witness, Mr Ugwoegbulam said he came back from the early morning mass at All Saints Catholic Church, Agip, Port Harcourt at about 10.am and decided to go to the market, only for him and some traders while discussing to witness fire from a section of their market.

According to him, all efforts to put-off the fire proved abortive until men of the fire service came through St Thomas Anglican church and put off the fire.

“Before they came, the fire had done a lot of damages and we have lost our goods”, he said, appealing for assistance from government.

Another victim, Mr Nnadi Chikezie, the Taskforce chairman of the market said he was at his village when he had a phone call that their market is on fire and was shocked that he could not continue celebration of the new year.

“About eight of my cars ‘Mbuka’ were burnt worth millions of naira and lam appealing to the government to render some help to cushion the effect,” he said.

Mr Kelechi Oguzie, popularly called Big Daddy also lamented that two lock-up shops with goods and 30 cars were gutted by the fire.

He said no pin was picked out of the stores as he heard the news while in church at his home town, but added that, “I cannot kill myself because of the lost”.

Meanwhile, when our correspondent visited the area on Monday, smokes were still coming out from the burnt parts while the traders were gazing at their burnt properties encouraging each other.