Tears, lamentations as Onitsha market fire victims count losses

BY NWABUEZE OKONKWO, ONITSHA

Tears are now flowing freely from the eyes of the victims of last Saturday’s fire disaster that destroyed goods estimated at over N1 billion at the food stuff section of Ose-Ekwodu market, Onitsha, Anambra State.

The losses which were earlier estimated at about N100 million by the market officials when the incident was still fresh, have now been properly evaluated at over N1 billion by the victims themselves.

Some of the goods destroyed by the inferno included tailoring materials, bags of rice, salt and brooms, onions and baskets, clothing materials, cosmetics, rolls of ropes, crates of soft drinks, cartons of beer, drums of local gin, tubers of yam, mirror, foam, palm oil, provisions, kerosine, cash, jewelries, among others.

For Mrs. Ndidi Okonkwo, a widow and mother of three whose two shops, stocked with bags of rice, were razed completely. “I am now living a miserable life and I don’t know where to start from”.

Also for Madam Justina Eze, whose rolls of ropes, many quantities of umbrella, palm oil, provisions, soft drinks and local gin which she estimated at N1.5 million were lost to the fire: “My only hope is on the state government to come to our rescue”.

Reacting to the development, the traditional ruler of Ifite Anam and chairman of Anambra West Local Government Traditional Rulers’ Council, HRM, Igwe Sylvester Nnose whose wives and sisters were affected by the inferno, called on the state government to take urgent steps in rescuing the victims before they give up hopes.

Other victims who are equally counting their losses included the chairlady of the burnt line, Victoria Okoye and Papa Imo, chairman of Oguta line.

Governor Willie Obiano who paid a sympathy visit to the burnt market on Monday, consoled them and promised to rebuild the market for the victims, even though he did not mention a specific period to commence the rebuilding work.

The Chairman of Ose-Ekwodu Market, Sunday Ewulu, disclosed that a fast food dealer residing within the market premises was arrested by the vigilance group attached to the market and handed over to the police on the suspicion that the fire outbreak started from his residence.

Ewulu who noted that five suspects were initially arrested, said it was after a thorough screening by the vigilance group and the police that four others were released, while the actual suspect who disclosed on interrogation that he forgot to put off his stove before going out, is still with the police.

Ewulu who admitted that some vigilante operatives attached to the market were able to secure some goods, also called on the state government, public spirited individuals and groups to come to the rescue of the traders whose source of livelihood have been terminated by the inferno.

Also speaking, the President of Anambra Markets Amalgamated Traders Association, AMATAS, Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo who also visited the market, expressed sympathy for the victims and specifically called on Governor Obiano to assist the victims in terms of rebuilding the shops for the traders and giving them funds to return to their businesses.
Ezenwankwo also called on the state government to provide fire-fighting equipment in all the markets to forestall future occurence, adding that government should set up a panel of inquiry to investigate the cause of the incident.
He disclosed that AMATAS would soon commence an enlightenment campaign on the need for the traders to take up insurance policies so that in the event of such an incident, the victims would be compensated by insurance companies.

In far away Nnewi, the industrial town of Anambra State, another fire disaster was equally recorded at the multi-million naira Umuisiedo Market, Okpuno Egbu, Nnewi on the same Saturday night. Goods estimated at N50 million were said to have perished in the inferno.

Eye-witnesses said that the Ose-Ekwodu in Onitsha fire incident occurred at about 3.30 a.m., while the Nnewi disaster occurred at about 2.30 a.m.
Likewise, the Onitsha fire outbreak was brought under control by men of the state fire service from both the nearby Onitsha main market and Okpoko after all the goods had been burnt, while the Nnewi inferno was brought under control by sympathisers.

At the scene of the Onitsha incident located at the bank of the River Niger, known by the traders as Zone 3, Marine Road, Ose Ekwodu, the debris and burnt remains of the affected goods, including roasted yams and burnt pieces of zink and planks, were seen littering the ground.

On the Nnewi fire incident, eyewitnesses stated that one of the shop owners, a pregnant woman, attempted to jump into the raging fire as the inferno destroyed all her goods. She was prevented from doing so through the prompt intervention of some sympathisers.

The inferno was said to have already burnt down eleven shops fully stocked with various kinds of groceries to ashes before the intervention by passersby. The traders alleged that fire fighters in Nnewi could not respond to their distress call until the Okpoko fire service station, near Onitsha, came to their rescue when great damage had been done.
It was gathered that while sympathisers were busy trying to secure the goods, some street urchins in Nnewi were said to have been busy looting the traders’ goods in the ensuing confusion.

One of the burnt Nnewi shop owners whose goods were all consumed by the fire, Mrs Adinu Mercy, said she was a returnee who fled from Kano State with her family due to incessant attacks by Boko Haram insurgents.

The pregnant shop owner who wanted to jump into the fire was heard shouting: “How can I repay the loan I took in opening this shop?”

For Mr Chikwendu Nnadi, another victim, “all hopes have been lost. “Where will I start from?”  “where will I end?”. In fact, as I am talking to you now, I’m confused and I don’t know what to do”.

Chairman of the market , Chief Gilbert Eriobuna and chairman of Okpuno Egbu Security Organisation, Chief Amobi Nnoruka, expressed shock at the incident and pledged to investigate the cause of the inferno.