Properties worth 902 million, 138 thousand, 500 Naira have been said to be lost to the recent fire outbreak at the Katsina State Central Market.
This is according to the Chairman of the Administrative Committee, Tasi’u Dandagoro inaugurated to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the fire incident.
Dandagoro who was speaking on Wednesday at the Government House Council Chamber while submitting the Committee’s Report to the state Governor, Aminu Masari noted that during the inferno, a total of 685 traders were directly affected out of which 605 shops were destroyed.
He informed the governor that a total of 59 traders were on attachment were also affected with 21 traders affected by looters.
He said the methodology used in the investigation was adopting a headcount system on the victims and the extent of financial loss in most of the affected shops said to have been the root cause coupled with violation of Standard Engineering Regulations which had also played a significant role.
“We have a lot of findings and recommendations. One of which is that Government should look at the original design of the market and construct additional shops to accommodate the victims.
“In the course of findings, We noticed that few days after the fire incident, almost all the remnants have been cleared off thereby doing away with all evidence that could help us find out the root causes of the incident.
“Some important elements that were conceived during the construction of the market such as drainages, fire hydrant, and underground tanks were all abstracted by the temporary shops built on those facilities and that have deprived their accessibility which rendered them useless.
“That the market currently lacks functional fire service station which includes the fire fighting equipment as well as functional boreholes that would have helped to reduce the movement of the fire on time.
On his part, the Executive Governor of the state, Aminu Masari thanked the committee for timely submission of the report, assured to soon have a white paper committee with effect from today in order to bring out a report that will be considered by the State Executive Council.
He further assured that all Civil Servants in the state have already been put on notice so that they will all contribute in effort to restore the market.
“This is because Civil Servants and public officers in the state consume more than 80 percent of the resources. So it’s time to show our commitment as brothers and sisters to address the unfortunate incident”. Masari said.
Governor Aminu Masari had on March 29th, 2021, constituted the administrative committee to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the incident.
The committee was also charged to investigate, determine and find out the causes and the extent of damages of the unfortunate fire incident.
Other terms of references of the committee include among others; identifying victims whose properties have been gutted by the inferno, recommend ways and measures to avert future occurrence as well as co-opt any person which the committee feels to assist.
