By Chimezie Godfrey
Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, the Minister, Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, says she has received with shock the news of another fire outbreak on Martins Street, Balogun International Market, Lagos, which occurred on Wednesday 29th January, 2020.
The fire razed and destroyed properties worth millions of Naira.
Farouq laments over the unfortunate incident and sympathises over the huge loss to the victims, the Lagos State Government and the country at large.
“I must say that the Federal Government is greatly worried over the repeated fire disasters in the markets across the country.
“It could be recalled that not too long, the same market was gutted by fire.
“I assure that the Federal Government will investigate the cause of the fire and preventive measures must be put in place to forestall future occurrences,” she said.
She commended the prompt response of the Federal Fire Service, Lagos State Emergency and Management Agency (LASEMA), and other stakeholders who were on ground to contain the blaze.
The Minister stated that hence forth, relevant government agencies and stakeholders in charge of markets take proactive steps and measures to ensure shop owners and marketers are educated on preventive measures and fire response procedures to forestall and mitigate fire outbreaks.
