Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Tuesday visited victims of Otukpo Main Market fire incident where he donated N50 million to enable them get back to their businesses.
Ortom, who made the donation during an on-the-spot assessment visit to the market, sympathized with the victims for the loss of their goods and thanked God that no life was lost.
He prayed God to help them overcome the temporary setback as a result of the fire and urged the traders to support the state government’s decision to restructure the market.
He announced that a committee comprising of the Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency, (SEMA) in collaboration with Otukpo council, among others has been set up to ascertain the number of victims and also map out modalities for disbursement of the funds.
He urged those who had resisted restructuring and expansion of the market with court cases to withdraw such suits and allow government to create access roads through the market and to relocate traders where necessary.
The Governor further expressed worry over increased cases of insecurity in Benue South Senatorial District occasioned by kidnapping, banditry, herders attacks and other crimes, urging stakeholders to join hands to combat the menace.
Also speaking, the acting Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Council, Mr. Inalegwu Adakonye and the Chairman traders union, Mr. Inalegwu Abounu, thanked the Governor for his visit and appealed for access roads to the market, for free movement of humans, goods services.
The immediate past Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Mr. George Alli said out of over 5000 shops in the market, 315 of them were burnt down.
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He said the market was over 60 years and there was need to relocate it outside of town.
“We are making plans to relocate the traders to a new site. We just secured a place and we are making plans to open it up such that fire trucks and other vehicles can pass through whenever there is an emergency.
According to him the state Chairman of Nigeria Institute of Architects has promised to design of the new market free of charge as their own contribution to rebuilding the market.
George said the cause of the fire could not be ascertained as at Tuesday morning lamenting that the items lost to the inferno ran into millions of naira.
He pointed out that the two categories of victims; shop owners and traders, will be verified holistically with the view of carrying both along so that no one will be short changed.
Also speaking to our correspondent, some of the victims, Mrs. Agnes Okoh, Rose Amuta, Grace Daniel and George Iji lamented their losses and appealed to government to make haste and come to their aid.
“On Friday, I had arranged N350,000 to pay for the cartons of fish I bought. That money got burnt because I left it in the shop. Even the bags of crayfish, all gone. I am a widow. This is the only thing I do to feed my three children and I don’t have anyone to run to. Please government should come quick and help us,” Mrs. Amuta, a fish seller said.
Another victim, George Iji who deals in second hand clothes, “okirika” also lamenting his ordeal said he lost two shops that were loaded with goods. “I just came back from the market where I traveled to buy goods to stock the shops. Everything is gone. I just got married recently. I need help to get back to business so I can cater for my family.” he said.
