Fire Guts Mile One, Ahoada Markets; Amaechi Pledges To Support Victims …Reps Urge NEMA To Compensate Traders

Moved by the plight of traders who lost their wares from early morning fire that razed down popular Rumuwoji (Mile One) Market yesterday, Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi has promised to provide victims with support to cushion their losses.

Amaechi had visited the scene of the fire incident immediately he arrived Port Harcourt yesterday from Abuja.

His words, “This is very sad. We thank God that nobody lost his life. That is one thing we should praise God for. Now a lot of people have lost their investments and businesses. We don’t know how they will manage this Christmas and all that “…What we decide to do is first to get the names of all those who are involved and see how to cushion the effects but we cannot pay 100 per cent of whatever is there. But we can see how we can reduce their loss to an extent so it doesn’t impact so badly on them,” he assured.

The governor directed the Commissioner of Special Duties to liaise with the traders association to take census of traders who lost their wares in the inferno, but warned on duplication of names as government had existing records on the complex.

He also assured that rebuilding would commence immediately, “But again there will be no more illegal structures here. No more. We want to start rebuilding from tomorrow whether it takes us six months or one year. We will start rebuilding from tomorrow. If we have no design we will follow the old design”, he said.

Amaechi hinted that the new market when constructed would be fitted with a fire station to avert similar occurrence in the future.

Earlier, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly had visited the site and assured traders that efforts would be made to cushion their pains.

Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon Leyii Kwanee gave the hint when he led over 20 members of the legislature to the market.

The lawmakers had taken a break from their daily protest over the continuous closure of the assembly complex to visit the scene of the market fire. Hon. Kwane described the situation as, “ very  very pathetic” and  sympathised with the traders over the colossal loss they had incurred in the cause of the fire.

“We are going to ensure that we talk to the Executive when the budget is presented so that they can build this other arm of the market. We will also ensure that a fire station is also put in place,” he said.

In addition to that, he promised that the legislature would talk with the Governor of the State to provide ameliorative measures to cushion the huge loss the traders had incurred in the course of the fire.

The lawmaker however enjoined the citizenry to be very cautious during this harmattan season in the handling of inflammatory materials.

Permanent Secretary Ministry of Special Duties, Mrs. Mina Benebo told newsmen that frantic efforts were made by the combined team of fire service men, to quench the fire.

Benebo   also blamed the makeshift buildings and standby generators used by traders in the market as responsible for fuelling the fire, “as far as where we were standing, we were hearing explosions in the market”.

Meanwhile, goods estimated at millions of Naira were yesterday destroyed by fire at Ahoada Main Market, the second fire incident in less than a week in the old Ahoada Town, headquarters of Ahoada East Local Government of Rivers State.

The fire which started about 8 pm was still raging as at 8.35pm without apparent solution as neither the state fire service, nor Agip and Total Fire service at Ebocha and Obite which had been contacted were yet to arrive

A victim who was weeping furiously said the cause of the inferno had not been established but noted that it started from the soup ingredient section.

As at the time of reporting, more than 10 lock up shops and open sheds had been affected while sympathisers were trying to contain it from spreading to other areas to no avail.

There were no security men to check thieves from tampering with traders articles. while, there was a multitude of sympathizers, some, helping friends to remove their goods, others were watching helplessly.

In the mean time, traders at the Rumunwoji Mile 1 Market in the Port Harcourt City Local Government Area have been counting their losses which ran into millions of naira following an early morning fire which burnt down the market.

Many traders lamented that they had lost all their wares to the fire incident.

A cosmetics trader, Mr. Ali Mouka told The Tide that he lost more than two million Naira, stressing that apart from properties, physical cash of two hundred thousand Naira were also kept in the store.

Another trader, Uche Emole who claimed to be a supplier of cosmetic products, said that his losses could not be quantified in monetary terms as he had lost virtually everything, adding that his customers were also affected by the incident.

“I just came back from Lagos last week and all of my customers, almost four of them are affected”.

“So as it stands now, the market has lost millions”, he said.

Mr. Emole urged the government to show serious concern on the plights of traders affected by the incident by initiating a process of compensation to all those affected by the fire incident.

Also lamenting his ordeal, Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed, a provision seller, said that he had nothing left to call his own.

He said that he was alerted of the incident at around 2.00am stressing that before he could rush to the market from Mile III, all his wares had been consumed.

Mr. Mohammed urged the government to come to their aid.

Meanwhile, the member representing Port Harcourt Federal Constituency 11 in the National Assembly, Hon. (Mrs) Blessing Boma Nsiegbe has described the incident as one of the worst in the area.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after inspecting the burnt market, Hon. (Mrs) Nsiegbe also described it as a disaster of monumental proportion, stressing that the incident had deprived many people, particularly the women in her constituency of their livelihood.

She urged the government to fashion out ways of building a new market in the area, while the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) should come to the aid of the victims through the donation of relief materials.

The House of Representative member said that modalities would be worked out by her office to compensate women from her constituency affected by the incident. She also called on the Rivers State Fire Service to station their vehicles permanently at the market.

Also speaking, the Chairman Rumunwoji Market Traders Association, Deacon Kenneth Eze commended Mrs Nsiegbe for coming all the way from Abuja to identify with the traders, as well as promising to help women affected by the incident.

The Rumunwoji women leader, Mrs Blessing Jack also called for support for victims of the incident.

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (2nd right), with other government officials inspecting the ruins of the Rumuwoji(Mile One)Market which was gutted by fire early yesterday morning in Port Harcourt.

Fyneface Aaron