Okpebholo vows to rebuild burnt Oluku market and support victims. Governor inspects damage, visits hospital and pledges full assistance.
Okpebholo vows to rebuild burnt Oluku market and support victims. Edo State Governor Senator Monday Okpebholo has promised to reconstruct the market destroyed by fire and help traders who lost their shops and goods.
He gave the assurance on Friday after inspecting the damage. The market is located along the Benin-Lagos Road in Ovia North-East Local Government Area.
Okpebholo Vows to Rebuild Burnt Oluku Market and Support Victims
The governor expressed sadness over the incident. He said the disaster could have been avoided and assured the traders that his administration would not abandon them.
He noted that the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, had expressed sympathy with the victims and the families of those who lost their lives.
“I spoke to the First Lady this morning, and she expressed her sadness over what happened yesterday,” he said.
Okpebholo vows to rebuild burnt Oluku market and support victims while urging residents to stay away from scenes of fire disasters involving petrol.
Call for Safety Precautions
“We are sorry. We, as human beings, should also take precautions whenever something like this happens. Before the explosion, people were scooping fuel,” the governor said.
He added that both the state and federal governments have spent a lot of money on advertisements to educate the public to stay away from such disasters. However, people often fail to listen.
The governor also criticised the owner of the affected tanker. The owner brought another tanker to transfer the fuel without taking the necessary safety precautions.
“The owner of the affected tanker also brought another tanker to evacuate the fuel, which is very wrong. If this had not happened, there would not have been any fire incident. This is the result of it. We are sorry; it is not our making. We pray God keeps us alive,” he said.
Visit to Hospital and Traders’ Appeals
Governor Okpebholo visited the burns and plastic ward of the Accident and Emergency Department of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). Some victims were receiving treatment there.
Addressing the parents of the victims, he reiterated the need for residents to heed safety warnings on the dangers of scooping fuel. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to rebuilding the market and helping the affected traders recover their livelihoods.
Earlier, the market’s secretary, Blessing Itoje, appealed for assistance. She said the traders could not salvage any of their goods before the fire destroyed their shops and wares.
“We couldn’t even pick anything; everything burnt to ashes. Some of us are widows, and we use our meagre earnings to care for our families. Some of the traders were admitted to hospital due to the shock; some are on oxygen. Please, our father, some of us are servicing loans as I speak,” she said.
Another trader, Julie Ologbosere, also appealed for support, saying the traders had been left with nothing.
The UBTH Chief Medical Director, Prof. Idia Ize-Iyamu, conducted the governor, his Deputy Dennis Idahosa, former Edo governor and Senator Adams Oshiomhole, and Senator Matthew Urhoghide around the hospital facilities to see the victims.
Okpebholo vows to rebuild burnt Oluku market and support victims as part of the government’s response to the tragedy. In the end, the administration aims to help traders restart their businesses and restore the market for the community.
