Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has promised succour for traders affected by the fire that recently destroyed parts of Sabo Market, Ore, in Odigbo Local Government area of the state.
Specifically, the incident, which occurred on August 12, destroyed shops and goods estimated at millions of naira, resulting in significant financial losses for the affected traders.
According to The Hope, Aiyedatiwa, who conducted an on-the-spot inspection of the market, sympathised with the victims, saying it was a relief that no life was lost despite the destruction of shops and valuable goods.
He commended the firefighters for their swift response, supported by residents, which he said prevented the fire from spreading further.
His words, “I acknowledge and thank all our firefighters for their quick response to ensure that this fire did not escalate more than this.
“A lot of valuables have been lost but no life was lost.
“Our men responded with the support of the people in the neighbourhood to ensure that the fire was put off.”
Aiyedatiwa noted that the state emergency agency had visited the market to assess and document the damage and identify those affected, assuring the traders that government would respond after the assessment.
“The emergency agency of the state government had been here to take note and account of all that have been destroyed and those who are affected.
“They are doing their calculation; in due time, they will respond to support the people,” he added.
He urged traders and residents to exercise caution by switching off electrical appliances and other potential sources of fire before leaving their shops or going to bed.
“I want to plead with every one of us to always be careful; don’t be careless,” he said.
The governor also promised to address the water shortage that hampered the firefighting operation.
“I’m promising you today, Ministry of Water Resources, Hygiene and Sanitation will visit and look at locations where they have to sink the boreholes and that will be approved immediately.
“Not just for firefighting but also for your use,” he said.
He appreciated the chairman of Odigbo Local Government for his response and urged him to identify other needs requiring state government intervention.
“Don’t stay back; put them forward and let’s see what the state government can help the local government to do for our people,” he stressed.
On his part, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Amidu Takuro, said the government would investigate the remote causes of the fire.
“The major concern of the government is to set up a team that will look into the remote causes of this fire,” he said.
Takuro said the latest incident was reportedly the third fire outbreak at the market in the past two years, with no concrete reasons established for the previous occurrences.
“So at this time, it is very important for us to dig to the roots of the causes of these problems so that we can be able to know what to do next,” he said.
He said the governor had directed officials to assess the incident, determine the next line of action and identify areas requiring government intervention.
He added that the government would support the traders and do everything possible to alleviate their hardship.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Odigbo Local Government, Taiwo Michael Adegoroye, said inadequate water hampered the firefighting operation.
Adegoroye said he stayed at the scene until about midnight on the day of the incident and mobilised residents to help extinguish the fire.
He described the market as one of the international markets in the state, noting its contribution to the internally generated revenue and finances of the state and local government.
He added that the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry visited the market the previous day, while the Special Adviser on Emergency also visited immediately after the incident.
Adegoroye said almost 14 shops were engulfed by the fire and appealed to the governor to assist the victims.
“We hope that Mr Governor will do something, not only to construct the market, but to alleviate their suffering by giving them palliative care,” he said.
He said the affected traders had spent their money on the businesses and needed assistance to restart.
Adegoroye also appealed for assistance to provide a police station in the area, noting that the previous one was burnt during the #EndSARS protest.
The Iyaloja of Ore, Odigbo Local Government, Chief Eniola Ogunlana, who spoke on behalf of the victims, described the incident as unfortunate and appealed to the government to assist the affected traders whose livelihoods depended on the market.
She said the traders arrived as early as 6:00 a.m. and left late in the evening, adding that the affected shops contained provisions, motorcycles, nylon and other goods.
Ogunlana said the affected traders were suppliers who bought goods in bulk and stocked their shops in preparation for Thursday sales.
The Chairman of the NURTW, Comrade Ademola Odudu, described the incident as “very, very unfortunate and very painful”, saying the market was one of the largest and busiest in Ondo State.
He said similar fire incidents had occurred at the market two or three times previously.
“We just heard that this one happened this last week. And very unfortunate and very painful. And we all came here to sympathise with the people that are being affected, either directly or indirectly, by their goods and properties,” he said.
Odudu said the cause of the fire remained unknown but expressed hope that the governor’s intervention would provide a lasting solution.
He said the governor’s decision to send commissioners and union leaders to assess the situation, coupled with his personal visit, would help address the problem.
Odudu sympathised with the victims and urged them to remain cautious.
The Hope
