President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked 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.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced that the delegation will depart Abuja on Monday.
According to the statement, the team will deliver President Tinubu’s condolences to traders who suffered losses running into billions of naira in the weekend inferno that razed the market, the second such incident within two weeks.
The delegation will also pledge, on behalf of the government, financial assistance to aid the victims and support Kano State in facilitating the quick reopening of the market.
Members of the delegation include the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin; Senator Kawu Ismaila; and Rep. Abubakar Kabir Bichi, Chairman of the House of Representatives Appropriation Committee.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Bernard M. Doro and Mrs Zubaida Umar, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), are also part of the team.
President Tinubu, who earlier spoke by telephone with Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, expressed his condolences to the traders and the people of Kano 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.
The President 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 has directed a comprehensive investigation into the causes of the recurrent market fires, which continue to leave traders in despair.
