Nkpor Fire Disaster: Senator Ekwunife Calls For Provision Of Relief Materials, Cash Incentives To Affected Traders & Residents

KINGSLEY UBANI

The Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, Uche Ekwunife, has drawn the attention of the Federal Government to the fire incident, which occurred at the popular Motor Spare Parts Nkpor, Anambra State, destroying properties and goods estimated at billions of Naira.

Ekwunife made this known on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, through a motion entitled ‘Motion of Urgent Public Importance; The Fire Disaster That Happened At Motor Spare Parts Market Nkpor Anambra State On 26th April 2021’.

Presenting the motion, the grassroots friendly Lawmaker noted that fire disasters had become very frequent in the nation’s markets and most markets do not have fire fighting equipment and traders do not create space in between shop buildings to allow access for fire fighting vehicles to drive in.

She described Nkpor Motor Spare Parts Market as one of the largest automotive parts markets in Nigeria located at Nkpor, Idemili North LGA, Anambra Central Senatorial District, noting that the fire disaster razed properties, motor spare parts, cash and other valuables. 

Expressing worry over the ugly incident, the empathetic and humane Senator noted that the fire had created lots of hardship due to cash losses incurred by the traders posing great challenge to security and social stability of the commercial city of Nkpor and its environs. She said that the extent of loss of goods, cash proceeds and valuable properties calls for urgent National intervention by the Federal Government to avoid loss of confidence and hopelessness in government. 

Supporting the motion, Senator T. A Orji (Abia Central) while noting that fire incidents had become recurring in many markets in the country, urged the state governments to liaise with the federal fire service to procure special firefighting equipments.

Adopting the motion, the Senate urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to immediately provide relief materials to the traders and residents so affected, and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs to provide cash incentives to the traders who have suffered huge cash loss due to the fire disaster.