- As Victims count losses
By Ifeanyi Uwagwu
Less than 24 hours after fire caused by fallen tanker ravaged some buildings in Agbor metropolis and led to the death of four persons, the Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has commiserated with the families of the deceased.
Governor Oborevwori who mandated his Deputy, Sir Monday Onyeme, to lead top government functionaries to visit families of the victims and inspect the level of damage, said in a video call during the visit to a husband of one of the victims that they should take heart and believe that God alone knew why it happened.
Deputy Governor Onyeme had in an interview with journalists during the visit, said the state government was touched by the unfortunate incident and assured of support to the victims.
He said; “what happened was an unfortunate accident. Those of us who are alive will do what we can to cushion the effects of the accident on the victims and their families.
“It was an unfortunate incident and our Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, asked us to come and see what happened, and commiserate with families of the victims.”
Elder Festus Adomugbor, husband to one of those who got burnt in the inferno and was visited by the Deputy Governor and his team, expressed surprised that the Delta State government could act promptly to identify with them.
He said, “I want to appreciate the Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori for this prompt action; I know that there is nothing any person can do to bring my wife back to life, but it remains to be stated for the records that I never knew that the governor of this state could send this magnitude of entourage that I am seeing today to visit my home.
“My heart has been heavy since yesterday, my children are with me and sympathizers are around. I begin to ponder what will happen when these visitations die down.”
…. Victims count losses
Meanwhile, victims of the Agbor fire explosion have continued to count their losses, while appealing to the State Government to come to their rescue.
Speaking with The Pointer, one of the victims, Mr Sunday Omoruyi of Sunnyland Electronics recounted the incident of the ill-fated Sunday. According to him, prompt attention by men of the fire service would have curtailed the raging inferno from spreading into the shops and destroying goods. He however called on the state Government to alleviate their pains.
“We know we cannot quantify the losses here, but let’s not exaggerate or make mistakes, millions of naira went down in this inferno. Millions went down. I cannot be specific. If I’m talking of my own personally, I will know what to say. I pray the government keeps to its promise we have had similar experiences in the past that did not end as desired, we hope the current administration remembers us and fulfil their promise”.
Another victim Mr Moses Ogbunu of Mosco Motorcycle Spareparts, mentioned that he lost over N40 million naira in the inferno while calling on the state government to redeem its pledge to them to enable them to get on their feet again. “I hope the state government would fulfil its pledge to us. If they can assist us in starting up a business again we would be grateful because all our business and efforts since we started life have been lost”, he lamented.
Fire Razes Building In Agbor
In a separate incident, fire razed a building off Gen Leo Irabor Street, behind the state fire service station at Agbor. The fire started accidentally when a kid in the absence of his parents, ignited a gas lighter and threw the ignited lighter on the mattress in their room after he was hurt and went outside to play, without telling neighbours.
According to the Neighbour, Mrs Ujuchukwu, they were only alerted when they saw rising fumes from the twin flat and before any help could come the raging fire spread into their apartment razing properties, food and material items.
“I was watching a movie on my phone with my children, before my daughter called my attention to the fire in the next flat, by the time we got there the mattress and items in their room had been razed and it spread into our flat. If not for the intervention of the labourers working on the site next to us, it would have been a different story. The fire service also helped us in retrieving a handful of items that we could retrieve from the house”, she added.
The mother of the child Mrs Faith Ozele, admitted that she had been away from their home on business since the second day of January, when she was contracted to cook for clients, as a caterer, while the husband was not at home on Sunday when the incident occurred.
“I have been away since the second day of the New Year, cooking for clients as a caterer, I was only informed about the incident via phone call and before I could get here, everything had been razed, my properties, even the money I was supposed to pay some people were also consumed in the raging fire. My son is less than two years of age and knows nothing, I do not know where to begin from. I have not built any property of my own and now I have to rebuild for somebody’, she lamented.
SEMA Begins Scoping, Incident Gathering
Acting on the orders of the State Governor, Elder Sheriff Oborevwori, to gather the required and vital information necessary for the state government to fulfil the pledges made to the victims of the inferno, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), has begun scoping and gathering information needed to make the pledge a reality. The Director of the Agency, Mr Karo Ovemeso, acknowledged that the agency had scoped the scene of the incident and would soon forward its report to the appropriate quarters to act.
Mr Ovemeso, who was represented by the Director of Administration and Finance, Mr Daniel Okpor, expressed confidence that the state government would fulfil its promise to the victims.
“We have just concluded physical scoping, we will continue with other aspects and within the shortest possible time, turn in our report and memo to the appropriate quarters. The state Government is a people-oriented one and the Governor has made it clear that he will not abandon the people and will help them in the recovery process”, he said.
He also called on parents to always monitor their children and to caution them from playing with dangerous objects.
“It is very important for parents to monitor their children and to ensure the type of objects that they play with. The second incident was a completely avoidable one if the parents had kept such dangerous objects away from the child. Fortunately, no life was lost”, he said
