UASPDA President Offers Permanent Solution to Market Fire Outbreaks

Fadekemi Ajakaiye

The use of firewood, charcoal and electricity generating sets by the various food vendors and other business operators at the international markets across the country has been identified as a major cause of market fire outbreaks recorded in recent times.

This assertion was made by the President of the United Allied Spare Parts Dealers Association, Deacon Simon Uzoetue at the general meeting of the union held  at the UASPDA Premises, recently.

He lamented that apart from setting the industry backwards, market fire has become a recurring decimal in Nigeria, saying that the impact has thrown millions of very successful traders and their families into abject poverty, while leading others to their early graves.

“Another important aspect of this environmental sanitation which we are working on is to regulate the cooking habits of food vendors within the complex. It is no more news that the carelessness of those cooking with woods and coals are among the major causes of most market fire incidents witnessed lately across Nigeria. So, we are building ultra-modern kitchen facilities for food vendors to enable only the use of gas cookers; knowing very well that after putting off the burning woods and coals at the close of day, some of the fire comes back alive in the night, using all the litering plastics and garbage as fuel to spread everywhere.”

Uzoetue further told the general assembly that his administration has successfully completed a solar electricity project at the secretarial building to reduce the use of generating sets. He stated that the gesture will be extended to all plaza and clusters for the benefits of those operators whose business require constant and all day power supply.

The UASPDA General Secretary, Uzochukwu Mmaduike while raising up the issues of shop revocation and authentication reminded other traders that “Today is the third and last meeting where this matter is being treated, so we need a final conclusion.”

The traders therefore approved a 21-day notice to all shop owners who defaulted in paying for their allocated shops, while a nine-man authentication committee was set up to oversee the authentication exercise within the next six months.