By Christopher Oji
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has revealed that over 1,600 industrial, weeping and straight sewing machines were lost in a mid afternoon fire disaster at the popular Tejuoso Market, Lagos, yesterday.
The revelation was made yesterday by Director General of NEMA, Mr. Mustapha Habib Ahmed, who consoled the traders and told them to see what happened as an act of God.
Ahmed, who was represented by NEMA Spokesman for Southwest, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, urged the traders not to see the situation as a temporary setback, but as God’s trial which would bring greater success.
The assessment revealed that about 150 lock-up shops with, at least, registered eight traders were using each shop.
He said: “In a post disaster loss and needs assessment, it was confirmed that over 1,600 industrial, weeping and straight sewing machines were lost in the mid afternoon fire disaster that struck the popular Tejuoso Market yesterday.
“The fire, which cannot be confirmed, but rumoured to have been caused by someone trying to fill up a working generator, which caught fire and could not be brought under control.”
However, Chairman of the traders, Comrade Godwill Okorie, contested this, saying the way the fire started and spread in the whole market within minutes, made him to dispute the general rumour. The chairman appealed to loan facilitators to consider the calamities and grant them more loans to enable them start off and redeem all the loans.