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Monday 11 March 2013

News: Fashola to rebuild burnt Ketu plank market



Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), yesterday inspected the Ifelodun Plank Market in Ketu  gutted by fire last Thursday night, assuring them that government would assist them to build a more organized, safer market, even as he appealed to all markets and warehouses operators in the state to insure their businesses in order not to suffer total loss whenever such unforeseen disasters occurred.

Fashola, who was conducted round the market by the Special Duties Commissioner, Dr Wale Ahmed and leaders of the market, said using insurance companies would also enable those skilled in the wood business to remain at work while also broadening the economy of the state and creating new jobs for the teeming unemployed. “I use this opportunity to appeal to all markets and warehouses owners that we should use insurance companies to insure our businesses, stocks, stock-in-trade and our inventory of goods.
This is what insurance is for,” the governor said, pointing out that if there was insurance in place, the people would have been talking to the insurance companies instead of the government. The governor also advised the market owners to call the toll free emergency number 767 in any emergency situation like fire or other disasters that required government’s immediate intervention, saying that while the fire was raging at the market, people were calling him on the phone and sending text messages. He explained that he still had to call the emergency line to direct the relevant agencies to the place.

According to the governor, “Accidents will happen. We cannot eliminate them totally because they are the inevitable but unfortunate consequences of human activity. When it happens, and I hope it will not be often, please call 767. It is an emergency number funded by taxpayers’ money.” Promising that the Government would assist to help build a more organized, safer market for the traders, Governor Fashola declared, “We will intervene and probably use this market as a model after it has been reconstructed. We will take them through insurance practice and we hope it is something that will gain foothold ultimately”.

Addressing leaders of the Market earlier, Fashola, who interacted with them in the local language, listened as the Chairman of Plank and Building Materials Association, Ifelodun Plank Market, Alhaji Aliu Bello, explained what happened. The Governor expressed the sympathy of the Government over the loss of their tools of trade and their stock as a result of the fire and promised that the Government would assist them to reconstruct the market.

The Governor also explained to them about the need to insure their businesses and warehouses pointing out that such insurance would give security to their business and come to their assistance in times of disaster such as the present one.
Culled from Daily sun Newspaper

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