President Bola Tinubu has directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead a Federal Government delegation to Kano to express sympathy and support for victims of the Singer Market fire disaster.
The fire, which erupted on Saturday evening and continued into Sunday morning, destroyed billions of naira worth of goods and marked the second such incident at the market in just two weeks.
According to a State House press release issued on Sunday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the delegation is scheduled to depart Abuja on Monday.
The statement said the team would convey the President’s condolences to traders over their losses and pledge financial assistance.
“The delegation will also pledge, on behalf of the government, financial assistance to aid the victims and support Kano State in facilitating the quick reopening of the market.
“Members of the delegation include the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin; Senator Kawu Ismaila; and Rep. Abubakar Kabir Bichi, Chairman of the House of Representatives Appropriation Committee.
“The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Bernard M. Doro, and Mrs. Zubaida Umar, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), are also part of the team,” the statement read.
According to Onanuga, the President had earlier spoken by telephone with Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, expressing his condolences to the traders and the people of the state over the fire outbreak.
He noted that Tinubu had expressed concern that the latest incident occurred less than two weeks after a previous fire destroyed dozens of shops and property at the same market.
The President has directed a comprehensive investigation into the causes of the recurrent market fires.
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