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Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Minister, Hajiya Sadiya Farouq
By Akanji Alowolodu, Bauchi
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq has directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to help with Search and Rescue operations of property to see what can be salvaged and to ascertain the level of damage and loss at the Monday Market.
The Minister also expressed sadness over the fire incident which razed the Monday Market in Maiduguri, Borno State capital early Sunday.
The raging inferno which was said to have started at about 2 am spread to different parts of the market, destroying many shops and property worth billions of Naira.
Sadiya Umar Farouq described the incident as unfortunate and a great loss to the nation’s economy.
According to her, “We received the sad news early this morning of the fire disaster which engulfed the biggest market in Maiduguri. We understand that goods and shops worth billions of naira have been destroyed by the raging fire.”
The Minister added that, “This is a great loss to the country’s economy, especially Borno state which is just beginning to recover from the destruction and losses as a result of insurgency and banditry.”
“We sympathize with the state government and people of Borno state, especially the traders whose livelihoods have gone up in flames following the fire incident,” She added.
She further said that, “I have directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to help with Search and Rescue operations of property to see what can be salvaged and to ascertain the level of damage and loss at the Monday Market”.
The 35 year old Monday Market is the largest trading hub in the North East as hundreds of shops and warehouses were said to be affected by the inferno as contained in a statement by Nneka Ikem Anibeze, SA Media to the Minister.
