Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum on Monday in Maiduguri hosted hundreds of victims, most of them traders at the Monday Market whose shops and goods worth billions of naira, were razed by an inferno that engulfed the market on Sunday.
Zulum while hosting them, presented a cheque of one billion naira for onward disbursement as emergency palliatives to the victims, pending the outcome of an assessment committee.
The governor had, during a statewide broadcast yesterday, announced a palliative of one billion naira which came after he visited the scene and mobilized armed forces to secure the market.
The Maiduguri Monday Market, said to be the largest in the northeast, was completely burnt by fire that lasted for some hours.
The fire began between 1am and 2am from yet to be ascertained cause(s).
Zulum received the victims at the premises of Borno State Government House in Maiduguri.
“Once again, I sympathize with you over the unfortunate fire disaster that razed the entire Maiduguri Monday market. Many of you have lost your lifetime savings.
” I urge you to take this as a trial from the Almighty Allah. As your governor, I will work with other stakeholders to do everything we can to provide the needed support to all victims.
“I have the assurances of President Muhammadu Buhari that the federal government will complement the effort of the state government”, Governor Zulum stated.
Meanwhile, Governor Zulum informed the victims that he had appointed a respectable man of integrity, Engr. Zarami Dungus, a former permanent secretary, to chair a committee that will immediately begin to verifiably identify eligible victims and disburse the one billion naira to them.
The funds, he explained, is to provide urgent support to the victims pending other measures to be adopted by the state government.
Zulum directed that the committee should comprise representatives of all stakeholders associated with the market which should include a representative of the Monday Market joint forum, a representative from the traders association, and another representative from the Monday Market car park, amongst others.
Zulum prayed that the disaster, which had happened on previous occasions, does not happen ever again.
He promised that government intends to take far reaching preventive measures during reconstruction of the market.
