Photo: Executive Governor, Chief Willie Obiano presiding over the EXCO Session where the Report was presented
The Governor of Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano has made clear the intention of his administration to prevent future occurrence of fire disasters in markets across the state particularly the Ose-Okwodu market Onitsha where the Ogboji section was gutted by fire recently. The Governor made the commitment while receiving the report of a 7-man Committee set up a fortnight ago to carry out investigation into the remote and immediate causes of the fire incident in the market and come up with some far-reaching recommendations that would help to avert future occurrences.
Receiving the report from the chairman of the Committee, Igwe Rowland Odegbo, Abogu II of Nteje, at the Executive Chambers of the Government House, Awka, the state capital, the Governor expressed the expectation that the recommendations would among other things ensure that the frequency of fire incident in markets would be a thing of the past and that measures taken would improve the conditions of markets and the trading environment.
According to him, “for instance Onitsha Main Market at present has outgrown its original design and needs immediate attention to check over-crowding, encroachment into the open spaces and construction of illegal make shift stalls. The spaces are cluttered such that movement is hampered during emergency situations like fire outbreak, even fire trucks can’t get to the scenes on time. Such a situation is not ideal for modern markets.”
Governor Obiano reiterated the determination of his administration to give a facelift to markets in the State to make them more conducive and easily accessible to human and vehicular traffics, adding that the government would ensure that they are provided with necessary infrastructural amenities and adequate security.