By Nneka Nwogwugwu
President Muhammadu Buhari has assured to assist the governments of Katsina and Zamfara States to assist traders affected by two devastating fire incidents in their major markets.
The President who spoke through the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on Monday in Katsina and Gusau, the two state capitals, respectively.
In a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu in Abuja, the President noted that the unfortunate fire incidents came at a time when the effects of COVID 19 on economies around the world had taken a toll on virtually all businesses.
He also acknowledged that many of the traders had stocked wares in anticipation of the boom in sales in the period of the upcoming Ramadan and the Sallah festival that follows.
To ease the hardship and losses suffered, the President gave assurances that the government would do all that is possible to assist them, adding that his reason for sending the powerful delegation was for them to assess the extent of damage and discuss with the State governments on how the Federal government could be of assistance.
Commiserating with the governments and people of the two states, President Buhari said he was interested in working with them to avert a recurrence of such tragic incidents. While in Gusau, the government delegation congratulated the State Government on the recent harvest of successes in curtailing the activities of bandits in the State.
Malami, who led the delegation to both states was accompanied by the Ministers of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, Aviation, Hadi Sirika and that of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar Faruk as well as the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.
The Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari, accepted the President’s invitation to work with Federal authorities to find solutions to the recurring problem of market fires.
He announced that he had set up a committee to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the incident while giving assurances that the victims will not be left to their fate.
The Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Bello Matawalle used the occasion to appeal to the Federal government to consider a general amnesty for repentant bandits as was done in the case of Niger Delta militants.