Lawmaker Consoles Victims Of Oke-Afa Plank Market Fire

The lawmaker representing Oshodi-Isolo constituency 02 at the National Assembly, Hakeem Abiodun Munir, has expressed sympathy with executives and traders at Oke-Afa plank market, Lagos, soutwest Nigeria, over the recent fire that razed over 108 shops in the market.

During his sympathy visit to the market, Munir donated a N200,000 cheque to the leadership of the market, and pledged that more efforts will be made  to ensure that more relief comes their way.

He said: ” I’m here to sympathise with the entire membership of your market association over the fire that gutted over 108 shops in this market.

“Such huge loss of wares by struggling members of your association could deal a heavy blow on the psyche of victims. I was particularly disturbed by the news of the inferno more so that the National Assembly is being confronted with news of heavy flooding in some parts of our the country.

Meanwhile, the traders have started rebuilding the over 108 burnt shops and stalls in the market.

The shops and stall that were built with woods are now being rebuilt with blocks.

It was learnt that the fire which affected about 108 stalls and shops last Thursday was the worst in the history of fire incidents in the market.

One of the traders, Abdul-Ganiyu Faronbi, who was seen supervising the bricklayers in front of his burnt shop, said he opted for block as it could withstand fire than wooden shops.

He said: “My two shops and a store which were made of wood were destroyed by the fire. And in them were goods and cash running into millions of naira.

Another trader, Kubura Owolabi, said the block shop she was erecting would give her peace of mind.

She said: “The incident was so serious that I could not retrieve a pin from my burnt shop. If it were a shop built with blocks, I would have been able to salvage one or two things.

Chairman of the market association, Amos Obadimu, who was also affected by the fire, said the decision of some of the traders to construct the block shops was a fallout of the meetings held after the incident.

He said: “The incident was a great loss but we thank God that no life was lost. As a preventive measure, traders selling building materials and inflammable items are being encouraged to build shops with blocks.

“Some of the traders building with woods would have loved to build with blocks but fingers are not equal,” he said

While soliciting aid from philanthropists and government, Obadimu said the officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and the Ejigbo Local Council Development Area had visited the market to take stock of their losses.

Meanwhile, the head of the association of wood processing machine operators in the market, Jide Ogunsola, said 27 of the 30 members had been thrown out of business.

—Jamiu Yisa