President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead a high-powered Federal Government delegation to Kano to express sympathy and support for victims of the Singer Market fire disaster.
The delegation, scheduled to depart Abuja tomorrow, will convey President Tinubu’s condolences to the traders who lost billions of Naira in the weekend fire that engulfed the market, marking the second incident in just two weeks.
A statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy said that the delegation will also pledge, on behalf of the government, financial assistance to aid the victims and support Kano State in facilitating the quick reopening of the market.
Members of the delegation include the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin; Senator Kawu Ismaila; and Rep. Abubakar Kabir Bichi, Chairman of the House of Representatives Appropriation Committee.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Bernard M. Doro and Mrs Zubaida Umar, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), are also part of the team.
President Tinubu, who earlier spoke by telephone with Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, expressed his condolences to the traders and the people of Kano State over the devastating fire outbreak.
The fire, which started on Saturday evening and continued into Sunday morning, caused extensive damage to Nigeria’s largest food market.
The President was particularly alarmed that the latest incident occurred less than two weeks after a previous fire destroyed dozens of shops and property at the same market.
He has directed a comprehensive investigation into the causes of the recurrent market fires, which continue to leave traders in despair.
