Date: 2017-04-11

Traders under the auspices of Kwara Igbo Traders Association (KWAITA) on Monday demanded adequate security in all the markets in the state.

The traders also want the provision of a standby fire service and firefighter station in Oja-Tuntun market in Ilorin, the capital.

The Oja-tuntun market was about two weeks ago, gutted by fire destroying no less than 40 lock-up shops and many attachments.

The traders led by the President General of the Igbo community in Kwara state, Boniface Okeke, said this when they met with the Ilorin West local government Transition Implementation Commit (TIC) chair, Abdulhameed Ali in Ilorin.

Mr Okeke who was represented by Mr Dennis Omukwe urged the TIC chair to constitute better, functional and competent market authority comprising of all stakeholders trading in the market for the day to day administration of the market.

"We also plead for the reconstruction of those shops and several compensations to be instituted to alleviate the victims from this unexpected hardships.

"Less than a year ago, we were called upon by our members trading in that market about a fire disaster that destroyed 40 lock-up shops and over 20 attachment shops and goods and property worth millions of Naira.

"We appreciate Senate President Bukola Saraki, the state and local governments for their interviews reconstructing those shops and the financial aid given to the victims.

"It is not up to one year on April 1st this year another fire outbreak was reported destroying another shops and attachment with goods worth millions of Naira. It was blamed on electricity. This claim is unacceptable. The market men and women trading in that market are in deep sorrow."

In his response, Always Ali said the state government had already approved the provision of a fire service station in the market.

He promised to provide land for the Igbo traders to build shops in the council.