Civil servants and political appointees in Katsina State are to contribute over N900 million for the rebuilding of the burnt Katsina Central Market that affected more than 600 traders.
Governor Aminu Masari said this while receiving the report of the Administrative Committee, set up to investigate the fire incident. He noted that this is the time, civil servants and political appointees will show their loyalty to the state, by contributing their quota, to rebuild the market.
He said, the civil servants consumed about 80 per cent of the state’s resources, and there was need for them to contribute to help the victims of the fire disaster.
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The Administrative Committee, saddled with the responsibility to investigate the cause, number of affected traders and shops, as well as make recommendations, to avert future recurrence of the Katsina Central Market Inferno, which occurred on March 22 had four weeks to complete its assignment.
Masari says a White Paper drafting committee will be set up by the government, to come up with resolutions on the report for implementation without delay.
According to him, with the series of disasters plaguing the State, there was the need for the people to repent and seek God’s forgiveness.
Chairman of the investigation committee and Commissioner For Works, Housing And Transport, Tasi’u Dandagoro said, they identified poor electrical connections, use of substandard materials, distortion of the original master plan of the market, lack of functional fire fighting equipment, as well as no presence of boreholes or overhead tanks, the as major cause.
Dandagoro further said that the committee also identified 685 victims, 605 shops, 59 attached shops and 25 other shops that were looted during the inferno.
He also submitted several recommendations to the Governor, on how to rebuild the market, including returning it to its original master plan, among others.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
