Action Democratic Party (ADP) on Wednesday called on the Federal Government to be more proactive in combating fire disasters which have now become rampant across major markets in the country in recent time, even as it expressed sympathy with victims and families affected by the disaster.
The party gave the charge in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos by its national publicity secretary, Prince Adelaja Adeoye, lamenting that the rate of fire incidence across the country had become too alarming, especially in market areas.
ADP, while charging the fire service departments across the country to be proactive in addressing the challenges on their hands, argued that the latest fire disaster at Balogun Market in Lagos, spanning around Bamgboshe and Broad Street in the state “could have been avoidable or be put out on time, if the government had borrowed a cue from such infernos that took place in some other locations around the country.”
The party, however, called on the Lagos State government to put measures in place, aimed at helping the victims of the inferno.
“On the part of the Federal Government, there must be serious investments in the procurement of fire fighting kits and training of firefighters, which should be stationed in strategic locations, markets and pubs across the country to immediately arrest any fire disaster, especially now that the festivities are around the corner.
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“Balogun Market is one of the busiest markets in Nigeria with several corporate organizations surrounding it, on a major stretch of Lagos Central Business District, which should ordinarily have standby fire and other disaster management equipment, but that was not the case. The fire ravaged a section of the market for over seven hours before an attempt was made to put it out,” the party lamented.
ADP sympathized with the traders, whose wares, running into several millions of naira were consumed by the ugly incident, as well as the families of the affected victims and those whose buildings were razed, praying that God replenish all their losses and gave them the needed support to get better and come out of the ugly situation.
“It is our prayers that God almighty will replenish all their losses, and give them the required support to get better and come out of this situation,” ADP said.
The party commended the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and others, whose fire departments were helpful in the fight against the fire disaster, that prevented the spreading to other buildings around the areas, calling on the Federal Government to conduct assessments in major markets, around the country in order to put an end to the frequent fire disaster.
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