As the 2023 elections approach, the recent fire incident at Alanamu Market, Ilorin, Kwara State shows how politicians jostle to outshine one another in rendering assistance to the victims of the disaster, TUNDE OYEKOLA reports:
Before the recent fire incident in Alanamu market, several fire incidents had been witnessed in markets across the state in the last two years.
While disclosing that items, which included industrial and ordinary sewing machines, provisions, poultry products such as eggs, chicken and turkey, juice, beverages as well as herbal products were destroyed in the current inferno, she stated that the inferno was the second in the market, after the one that occurred about 20 years ago.
According to Hassan Adekunle, head of Media and Publicity of the Kwara State Fire Service, “Firemen did everything possible to immediately stop the spread of the burning fire to the other shops, and subsequently eliminated the fire. An electric power surge, based on report, was suspected to be the cause of the fire outbreak. The estimated property saved was N865.5m and the estimated property lost was N9.6m.
Iyaloja, who confirmed that many people including some politicians had visited the market to commiserate with them on the fire incident, stated, “Yes, some people have come to sympathise with us on the fire incident. Part of the assistance being rendered is the rebuilding of the shops. The government is assisting us to rebuild the affected shops.”