The Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has advised traders in the State to insure their businesses against emergency.
The Governor said this on Tuesday, through his Deputy, Onyekachukwu Ibezim, who represented him at the scene of the fire incident on Kano Street, beside Main Market, Onitsha.
The governor explained that the purpose of the trip was to physically assess the damage that had been done in order to propose future preventive measures.
While expressing sympathy for the disaster’s victims and giving thanks that no lives had been lost, he announced that the state government and business leaders would meet to discuss finding a long-term solution.
He called for the adoption of laws to help prevent future fire outbreaks and expressed his concern for the traders’ property and personal safety.
He said, “If it means every trader at Main Market to have fire extinguishers in their shops, we will put it as a law and enforce compliance. An immediate emergency training must be conducted.
“How many traders have insurance? I have always asked this question. Insurance helps to cushion effect of this nature.
“This is the kind of structure we want to lay and we will get there. We will expose you to all these insights because this is what the government has come to do.”
He however expressed regret that the state had unfortunately allowed this unfortunate fire accident to become an annual occurrence and expressed hope that it would not happen again, especially during the holiday season.
The governor bemoaned the presence of unauthorized structures at marketplaces, which he claimed frequently prevented access to an exit in case of emergency.
