Tejuoso Fire: 1,200 Artisans Rendered Jobless, Says NEMA

Rebecca Ejifoma

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in a post-disaster loss and needs assessment confirmed that about 1,200 artisans who specialise in assorted fabric making have been rendered jobless. The agency further noted that over 1,600 industrial, weaving and straight sewing machines were lost in a mid-afternoon fire disaster that struck the popular Tejuoso Market yesterday.

While the cause of the fire cannot be confirmed, speculations have it that it was caused by someone trying to fill up a working generator which gutted the fire and could not be controlled.

However, the Chairman of the Traders, Comrade Godwill Okorie argued that the way the fire erupted and spread to the whole market within minutes makes him dispute the rumour.

The chairman further appealed to loan facilitators to consider the calamities and grant them more loans to enable them start and redeem all the loans.

While consoling the traders, the Director General of NEMA, Mustapha Habib Ahmed represented by Ibrahim Farinloye, urged them not to see the situation as a temporary setback but as a  trial that would bring greater success.

The assessment also revealed that about 150 lock-up shops with at least eight registered traders are using each shop.