The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS), has suggested that henceforth markets construction plans should contain installation of
firefighting equipment and adequate space for vehicular
movements in case of fire incidence.
The president of the association, Ken Ukaoha gave the advice in a statement in
Abuja on Thursday.
He said governments and traders should have installation of fire suppression and fire-fighting equipment such as fire extinguishers at strategic locations in the markets as ways of containing cases of fire incidences.
NANTS was reacting to the recent fire incidence at Balogun market in Lagos and Onitsha where a trailer caught fire and destroyed shops and properties of some of its members.
“The National Executive Council (NEC), management, staff and entire members of NANTS send our deepest sympathy to entire traders, and in particular our members and victims of the recent Balogun market fire which took place in Lagos State on Nov. 5.
“We condole with family of the Police Sergeant who died in the course of duty as a result of fire disaster, and preach comfort to our colleagues whose wares and source of livelihoods have been touched or terminated by the inferno.
“NANTS wishes to call on Federal Government and Lagos State Government including the Federal and State Fire Service to take a serious look into these incessant market fires and take decisive action that would curtail the menace which has continued to inflict hardship on our members across the country.
“These incidents are becoming too many and can no longer be swept under the carpet.
“It would be recalled that it is barely three weeks such an incident happened in Onitsha where a trailer caught fire and destroyed shops, properties and loss of lives.
“We have not woken up from that before another one happened in Maiduguri. We will never keep quiet until urgent inquiry is conducted to underscore the immediate and remote causes of these unabated shameful incidents in our markets in the country.’’
He advised that Fire Service must wake up to always be at alert when such incidences happen to avoid traders watching helplessly as their goods, properties and the means of their livelihoods are engulfed by fire.
Ukaoha lamented that several billions of Naira worth of goods belonging to the affected traders must have been destroyed by every market fire incident recorded.
“We therefore insist and reiterate our call that government should make public the report of Committees set up to investigate previous incidents so that lessons can be learnt with appropriate actions and sanctions.
“Otherwise, we may accuse governments of complicity, irresponsibility and negligence.
“NANTS wishes to remind all tiers of governments that such wasted investments apart from those who lost their lives add great value to the nation’s economy but have been swept away from the same economy that is literarily suffering from hemorrhages.
“It is our candid opinion that many of the fire incidents are indeed preventable in order to avoid many being rendered jobless.
“We must learn to secure our economy, and particularly understand that traders are the heartbeat and engine of Nigeria’s economy.
“Securing the local investments made by these traders would also galvanise and guarantee confidence from the foreign Investors that our governments chase around.’’ (NAN)
