Send Relief Materials To Karu Market Victims- Reps Direct NEMA

The House of Representatives has urged the National Emergency Management Agency of Nigeria, NEMA and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management to immediately send relief materials to traders affected by the Karu fire incident in Abuja.

The House further urged the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN to provide grants and start-up capitals to the affected Traders to enable them start afresh.

It also resolved to vote N100, 000, 000 from the six months’ 50% salary pledge to support the victims.

These resolutions followed a motion of urgent public importance on the devastating impact of the inferno that ravaged Karu Market in Abuja sponsored by Fred Agbedi and 48 others.

In his lead debate, Agbedi noted that last month, the Traders and entire Karu community of Abuja Municipal Area Council were thrown into confusion and anguish, owing to the fire outbreak that ravaged the popular Karu Market in Abuja Municipal Area Council, Federal Capital Territory resulting in the destruction of goods and other property worth millions of Naira.

He also noted that the fire incident destroyed most of the structures, goods and facilities in that part of the market leaving the traders traumatized by the effects of the disaster.

According to him, all efforts by the Fire Services and other good Nigerians to contain the fire proved abortive.

“The House was disturbed that this is the main market that serves the karu community and its environs, thus the fire incident has led to the loss of a greater part of the market, loss of earnings for about 1,400 persons whose main source of income was trading in this market.

“The House said it was aware that no citizen of Nigeria should be allowed to wallow in hopelessness, and the fact that, they are our hosts in AMAC, FCT, there is urgent need to bring relief to the affected to cushion the effect”.

Adopting to the motion the House mandated the Committees on FCT Area Councils and Ancillary Matters, Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, Small and Medium Enterprises Development of Nigeria and Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji