Rivers residents have urged the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, to extend the same gesture he made toward victims of Sokoto central market fire to victims of Port Harcourt market fire.
Last week, a midnight fire damaged properties and businesses worth hundreds of millions at the busy bishop Okoye street of the mile 1 market.
On Wednesday, another devasting fire outbreak completely razed down the timber market at Marine base, Port Harcourt, destroying properties worth hundreds of millions in the process.
Residents are, however, hoping that Wike supports those businesses which suffered during the fire incidents.
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Mr George Wokoma, a resident of Port Harcourt said having extended the same gesture to Sokoto, Wike has no excuse not to compensate victims of the Port Harcourt market fire.
According to him, it will be a disservice to Rivers people if Wike chooses to look the other way round while his house is burning.
Another resident of Port Harcourt, Alex Chiolu, urged Wike to support victims of the Port Harcourt fire incidents, adding that the governor owes the victims the responsibility to get them back to their feet.
Meanwhile, the Ijaw Youths Congress, IYC, has urged governor Wike to support victims of the Plankshed Market which it said is situated in an Ijaw Community (Iyo-Polo) Tompriama Marine Base.
Comrade Emmanuel Moses, provost of the youth body in Port Harcourt said the traders need support, adding that “What is good for Sokoto is good for (Okrika) Ijaws.
“I humbly appeal to the Mayor of Port-Harcourt to act swiftly, our Councilors, House of Assembly Members from Ijaw Extraction and highly Spirited Ijaws should visit the market in order to profer a lasting solution to these incessant fire outbreaks.
“Finally, the NDDC as an Interventionist agency should intervene in order to ease the losses of both the market Men/Women and the community (Iyo-Polo)”
