From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi and Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Labour and Employment Minister, Dr Chris Ngige, worried by the magnitude of losses suffered by the victims of the recent fire outbreak in Onitsha, Anambra State has pledged the assistance of the Federal Government in cushioning its effects.
Ngige gave the assurances when he visited the scene of the fire disaster at the DMGS round about in Onitsha.
The minister, who described the destruction as massive said the Federal Government would find a way to come in to assuage the pains of the victims.
The Onitsha inferno occurred Wednesday last week, when a truck loaded with fuel fell off while negotiating a bend at the roundabout and destroyed 13 buildings, 16 vehicles, 3 tricycles and two filling stations among other shops and eateries.
Meanwhile, National Auditor of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief George Moghalu, yesterday, visited the scene of the fire disaster and commiserated with victims of the incident.
Moghalu, who is also a governorship aspirant in the forthcoming 2017 Anambra State governorship race, was taken round the area by top members of his party in the state.
He expressed shock at the extent of damage and appealed to the state government to assist the victims as much as possible to enable them start life afresh. He sympathised with the victims and their families, especially those who got injured, lost their homes, other property and means of livelihood to the fire.
Reacting to the inability of the state fire service to rise to the occasion during the emergency, apparently due to lack of operational fire engines, according to eyewitnesses, Chief Moghalu called on the state government to acquire adequate number of new engines.
Addressing some of the victims, Ngige thanked God that no lives were lost, but blamed the state government for poor fire fighting initiative.
He condemned a situation where the state would be relying on fire fighting arrangements from neighbouring Delta State each time.
Ngige, who condemned the siting of filling stations in residential areas said Federal Government would come out with a regulation to stop such act.
He said he would direct the attention of the National Directorate of Employment under his ministry to fashion out a way to assist a training outfit that lost its equipment in the fire outbreak.
Ngige also enjoined the state government to find a way to come up to mitigate the pains and losses of the victims.
Flanked by some top All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in Anambra State, Ngige, however, regretted that most of the victims did not insure their goods and property. He said if they had taken up insurance policies, they would have fallen back on the compensations they would have received from their various insurance companies.
“This is painful. “We are all in pains and agony. What took us many years to build just vanished within few minutes.
“You won’t suffer alone. We shall all come in to assist. The Federal Government will come to assist through the NDE. Have hope; it’s not the end of the world,” the minister said.