31st August, 2022
Ehigimetor Igbaugba
Gov Ben Ayade of Cross River has expressed sadness over the fire that destroyed goods worth millions of naira on Tuesday at the popular fruits Market at Marian in Calabar.
The Cross River governor made this known in a statement by his Deputy Chief Press Secretary, Mr Linus Obogo and made it available to newsmen in Calabar on Wednesday.
He described as sad and disturbing, the recurring fire incidents at the Marian Market.
While empathising with the victims over the incident, Ayade promised to urgently profer solutions to frequent fire incidents in the market.
“I am saddened by the news of the fire outbreak at the Marian Market and the attendant loss of goods and property.
“I deeply sympathise with the traders whose goods may have been destroyed as a result of the fire incident.”
“| am worried about the recurring incidents of fire outbreaks at the Market.
“As a government, we are looking into how we can put a stop to it. It has happened one time too many,” he stated.
It would be recalled that the popular Market was gutted by fire in the early hours of Tuesday and over 30 lockup shops were affected by the inferno.
Mrs Olumayowa Olomola, Commanding Officer, Calabar Command of the Federal Fire Service, said that the fire was caused by a gas explosion in one of the lockup shops.
According to her, “The fire started from one of the shops where the occupant, a woman who was boiling beans, slept off.
“The woman in question had another cylinder filled up with gas in her shop and this led to the explosion when what she was cooking got burnt.”
She, however, said that no life was lost in the incident.