The Nasarawa state governor Tanko Al-Makura has donated 10million naira to victims of the Masaka market inferno, so as to cushion their devastation in the interim before the stock of razed shops is taken.
He made the donation when he visited the market to ascertain the level of destruction.
The governor also directed that stalls be given to affected victims at the Karu international market.
“We are going to take stock of the number of traders who lost their shops and will be allocated non formal shops within the Karu international market with immediate effects”
“Government in the interim has donated the sum of 10 million naira to be distributed amongst those that are badly affected. I would like to admonish leaders of the market association to be sincere and honest in the way and manner they share it. I feel this is nothing to write home about but in the interim, it is something that will give them a little relief ”
He also revealed his intention to establish a market management bureau which will oversee affairs of all markets in the state.
“We have decided to establish the Nasarawa state market management bureau which will take charge of the administration of all markets in Nasarawa state.
This will be done in synergy with the market traders association, local government councils and ministry of commerce, industries, and cooperatives”
2000 food items and cosmetic shops were razed by an early morning inferno in Masaka market, one of biggest in the axis of the federal capital territory.
One of the victims Augustine Obinna told Channels Television that the cause of the inferno is sketchy.
“They said that it is stove, some say electricity so I didn’t believe it, stove or electricity cannot cause this kind of incident”
As the victims count their losses and are still trying hard to recover from the shock of losing all their goods, they call on the government for urgent assistance to start afresh.
“The government should come to our aid and do something tangible for us”
“My appeal to the government is that I don’t have any other source of income or livelihood. I need help from government to resuscitate my business”
“My two shops got burnt, I don’t have any help except that of the government. They should please help us”
The inferno which is the first since the establishment of the market engulfed goods worth millions of naira and one life who died as a result of shock.
