President Bola 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 is set to leave Abuja on Monday to deliver the President’s condolences to traders said to have suffered losses amounting to billions of naira in the weekend inferno that ravaged the market — marking the second such incident within two weeks.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga revealed this in a statement released on Sunday. He explained that the team will also convey the Federal Government’s commitment to providing financial assistance to affected traders and supporting the Kano State Government in ensuring the prompt reopening of the market.
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Among those in the delegation are the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin; Senator Kawu Ismaila; and Abubakar Kabir Bichi, Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations. Also included are the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Bernard Doro, and Mrs Zubaida Umar, Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Onanuga added that President Tinubu had earlier held a telephone conversation with Governor Abba Yusuf, during which he extended his sympathies to the traders and residents of Kano State over the devastating incident.
The blaze reportedly began on Saturday evening and lasted into Sunday morning, causing significant destruction at Singer Market, widely regarded as Nigeria’s largest food market. The statement noted that the President is particularly troubled that the latest fire occurred less than two weeks after a previous outbreak destroyed numerous shops and properties at the same location.
He has therefore ordered a thorough probe into the recurring market fires, which have continued to leave traders grappling with heavy losses and uncertainty.