Saraki Commiserates With Victims Of Kano Inferno

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Sunday, March 27th, 2016

Senate President, Bukola Saraki has commiserated with victims of Saturday’s fire disaster that razed the popular Abubakar Rimi market in Kano.

The National Assembly (NASS) Chairman in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) lamented the repeated fire disasters in markets across the country is the need for management of markets to always deploy all modern means of preventing and combating fire incidents to ensure traders are not subjected to this harrowing loss.

The popular Sabon-Gari market in Kano, was in the early hours of Saturday hit by a fire incident very that led to the destruction of goods and properties worth millions of naira.

Saraki said, “the continuous loss of merchandise and properties in many commodity markets in the country and Kano in particular to fire disasters has reached a worrisome level that requires urgent measures to combat the trend.

“These fires incidents had deprived our hard working and determined traders the means of livelihood and survival and these are expectedly breadwinners of their families. In addition, these losses represent the depletion of national wealth as most of the victims constitute a significant chunk of entrepreneurial class who are supposedly great contributors to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“This is most unfortunate to the economy of Kano State, more so coming after the destruction of Kurmi market, the oldest market in Kano by fire, and the recent inferno at the furniture section of Abubakar Rimi market

“The Senate is pained by the loss, and I seize this opportunity to underscore the need for adequate preventive measures against fire disasters in our markets. All markets in the country must be built with the plans to prevent outbreak of fire incident and equipped with fire fighting equipment. Also, market women should be constantly trained in fire preventive measures and drills”, the Senate President stated.

However, Saraki urged the State government to ensure thorough investigations to unravel the cause of the incident and forestall occurrence.