[Vice President Kashim Shettima will lead a high-powered Federal Government delegation to Kano on Monday, on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, to express sympathy and support for victims of the Singer Market fire disaster.
The delegation will convey the President’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.
On behalf of the government, the delegation will also pledge financial assistance to aid the victims and support state in facilitating the quick reopening of the market.
Members of the delegation include the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas; Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin; Senator Kawu Sumaila (representing Kano Southdistrict); and Chairman of the House of Representatives Appropriation Committee, Hon. Abubakar Kabir Bichi.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Bernard Doro; and the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Mrs Zubaida Umar are also part of the team.
President Tinubu, who earlier spoke on telephone with Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, expressed his condolences to the traders and the people of the 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.
According to a statement on Sunday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu 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 then directed a comprehensive investigation into the causes of the recurrent market fires, which continue to leave traders in despair.
