Lagos inferno: Reps urge NEMA to provide relief materials for victims

The House of Representatives on Thursday urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials for the victims of the fire disaster at Amu Building Materials Market in Lagos State in order to ease their pains.

It mandated the Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness to investigate the remote cause of the incidence as well as visit the scene of the fire disaster and commiserate with the people and government of Lagos State.

The House also commiserated with the Government and the people of Lagos State and in particular the victims of the fire outbreak being the traders.

The resolutions were the adoption of a motion on: ‘Urgent Need to Investigate the Fire Disaster at Amu Building Materials, Amu Street, Mushin II, Lagos State sponsored by Rep Bolaji Ayinla at the plenary.

While moving the motion, Rep Ayinla said that on 25 January, this year, the fire raced down the Amu Building Materials Market in Amu Street, Mushin II in Lagos State, destroying goods worth Billions of Naira.

ALSO READ: NDE trains 630 unemployed youths on vocational skills in Anambra

He noted that the market which was the biggest market in the State had been affected with varying degrees of losses occasioned by the fire outbreak.

According to him, “aware that the cause of the fire at Amu Building Materials Market is yet to be determined, but eyewitnesses said that the fire started 12 midnight

“Informed that shops and other valuables were destroyed in the inferno thereby taking away the means of livelihood of the traders who are now worried about their inability to continue in business and also interests accruing on the loans they took from commercial banks to stock their shops

“Cognizant of the provision of Section 14 (2) (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) which provides that the Security and Welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government would become a mere dream if necessary actions are not taken to bring succour to the affected traders”.

In a related development, the House urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to send relief materials to the victims of Mgbuka Obosi Fire Outbreak in Anambra State.

The House also mandated the Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the fire outbreak and report back within Four (4) weeks four further legislative action;

The House also reminded the Federal Government of the House Resolution of October 29, 2019, calling for the establishment of a Federal Fire Station in Onitsha, or its environs.

It called on the House to observe one-minute silence in the memory of one Mr Godwin Edozieuno who lost his life in the Fire incident.

The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion on: “Need to Investigate the Fire Incident at the Old Motor Spare Parts Market, Obosi, Anambra State moved by Rep Okwudili Ezenwankwo at the plenary.

Rep Ezenwankwo said that at the early hours of January 11, this year, the fire erupted at the Old Motor Spare Parts Market, Ugwuagba-Obosi, popularly known as Mgbuka Obosi Market in Anambra State.

According to the lawmaker, ” informed that the fire outbreak razed more than four hundred (400) lockup shops and caused the death of one Mr Godwin Edozieuno

“Also informed that Anambra State accommodates over Seventy-Five (75) major markets where goods worth billions of naira are traded, yet there is no presence of Federal Fire Service in the State

“Recalls that a similar Motion was moved on October 29, 2019, in respect of the Upper Iweka/Ochanja Market Fire Incident and the House resolved, inter alia, to call on the Federal Government to establish a Federal Fire Service Station in Onitsha or its environs

“Worried that no feasible steps have been taken to establish any Federal Fire Service station in Anambra State, especially in Onitsha where over Thirty-Five (35) major markets are situated

“Disturbed that the absence of a Federal Fire Service contributed to the extent of damage wrecked by the Fire out