Kabiru Yusuf-Nadabo, a retired assistant corps marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, has called for relocating the Singer market to Dangwaro International Market in Kano.
Mr Yusuf Nadabo, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress from Jigawa, made the call in Kano on Monday.
“This call has become necessary in order to address the fire incidents that have plagued the market over the past 15 years. I was at the scene of the incident on February 14 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. and encountered difficulty in accessing the scene during rescue.
”It took 12 hours to put out the fire. The current location of the market is not conducive to heavy-duty and articulated vehicles, posing serious safety risks. Safety-wise, when you look at the environment, it is not ideal for articulated vehicles to move freely,” he said.
Mr Yusu-Nadabo further explained that whenever there was a fire incident, firefighting trucks found it very difficult to access the affected areas. He added that, on a daily basis, almost 100 trucks enter the market to offload goods.
Mr Yusuf-Nadabo said major adjoining roads, including the Bello and Ibrahim Taiwo Roads, are often completely blocked, which compounds traffic and hinders emergency response.
“Based on experience in traffic management and public safety, relocating the market to Dangwaro International Market will significantly reduce congestion and put an end to recurring fire outbreaks,” he said.
The retired FRSC officer urged the state government to act with urgency in the interest of public safety and sustainable urban development.
The fire outbreak destroyed properties worth over N5 billion, affecting over 1,000 businesses and leaving seven persons missing. The market’s chairman, Junaid Zakari, disclosed this in Kano on Sunday.
A massive fire broke out in the same market on February 2. The fire, which started around 3:16 a.m., affected numerous shops before firefighters and emergency agencies brought it under control, with no reported deaths.
(NAN)