Following fire outbreak that razed their shops, Chairman of Kugbo International Market Traders Association (KIMTA) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Prince Emeka Egwuekwe has called on the Federal Government to assist the traders to rebuild their shops and replace damaged machines.
The fire which started early morning on Sunday at the popular furniture market in the Kugbo area of Abuja, had destroyed goods worth over N3 billion. A Similar incident had occurred last year in the market.
Egwuekwe who is also President of United Furniture Dealer’s Association of Nigeria called for the establishment of a fire station in the market to avoid a reoccurrence even as he lamanted the loss of over N3 billion to the incident.
He thanked the army, navy and fire service for their timely intervention which nipped the fire noting that without their support the entire furniture market, with the timber shed, would have been razed.
Egwuekwe, however, appealed to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the FCT administration to urgently come to the aid of members whose means of livelihhood were destroyed by the inferno.
He also called for members of the association to be included in the Central Bank Of Nigeria (CBN) N50billion COVID-19 stimulus package for households and small businesses. He said the furniture manufacturing industry lost over N600 million during COVID-19 lockdown noting that if care was not taken a lot of companies would shut down after the pandemic.