Obinna Odogwu, Awka and Jeff Amechi Agbodo
An early morning fire, yesterday, razed goods worth millions of naira at the headbridge market, Onitsha, Anambra state.
Daily Sun learnt the fire started at about 8.30 when traders opened their shops for business, and raged for over an hour, before it was eventually quenched. The cause of the inferno could not be immediately ascertained.
About 40 shops were affected as the inferno destroyed a larger part of the market where yams, foams, sawmill machines, chairs, crates of soft drinks, wooden doors, carpentry and hotels were housed.
President-General of Headridge Markets Traders Union, Chief Sunday Obinze, who conducted journalists round, said they suspected an electrical fault ignited the fire. He said traders used their fire extinguishers to combat the fire.
Three of the traders affected, Jude Nwufo who lost several wooden doors and chairs, Daniel Achu who lost saw machines, and Remy Chinedu Okeke who lost crates of soft drinks, appealed to the state government to come to their aid.
They demanded financial assistance to enable them return to business.
Secretary of Yam Sellers Association, Collins Onwunali, who described the damages by the fire as devastating to the traders, however, thanked God that no life was lost.
Following the fire outbreak, the leadership of the market have placed a ban on smoking and the use of naked light by hoteliers as from January 1, 2020.
Obinze said sectional heads of the market had agreed that although the market was officially scheduled to close on December 24 and re-open on January 6, the January 1 deadline was to ensure hoteliers no longer use kerosene, gas or any other naked light to cook inside the market.
Meanwhile, victims of the fuel fire that left many people dead and properties destroyed in Amawbia, Awka South Local Government Area have cried out to Governor Willie Obiano.
A tanker laden with Premium Motor Spirit (otherwise known as petrol) on February 9 fell while trying to turn at a roundabout in the area, spilled its content and burst into flames.
About 10 persons lost their lives while several properties were burnt.
Some of the victims are lamenting that months after the tragedy, the governor had failed to honour his promise of assisting them.
They lamented that they were surprised that the governor donated N100 million to Ochanja Market fuel fire victims in Onitsha, while abandoning them. They lamented that this year’s Christmas and New Year celebrations would be bleak as they have nothing to celebrate with having lost their source of livelihood.
Rose Onwura said she lost goods worth millions of naira and had been grappling with financial challenges.
“The governor was the first to come out that night. He came and sympathized with us. He promised to compensate us. We were consoled and happy that there was hope. Immediately he left, Uche Ekwunife came and met with us. Other people also came that night. But since then uptill today, we have not heard or seen anything. We have made effort to reach out to the government, but it has not yielded results.
“We were surprised that the governor compensated the victims of fuel fire in Ochanja Market, Onitsha and abandoned us who are here in Amawbia with him. “We were shocked and surprised that the one that happened just behind his backyard could not get his attention. We are wondering if we have offended him in any way, she said.
Another victim, Mrs. Nonye Ekpunobi, whose two shops were burnt said her kids have been withdrawn from school as she found it difficulty feeding.
“I don’t have any thing I am doing. We find it extremely difficult to feed. In fact, we now beg for food. My children have all stopped schooling since because there is no money to pay their school fees,” she lamented.