By Monsur Olowoopejo

LAGOS—Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, Sunday, promised traders of the burnt Ifelodun Plank Market in Ketu, Kosofe Local Goverbnment Area, gutted by fire last Thursday, that the state would rebuild the market.

He, however, appealed to all market and warehouse operators in the state to insure their businesses not to suffer total loss whenever such unforeseen disasters occured.

It will be recalled that the fire which begun at about 9:00pm last Thursday, razed over 300 shops filled with building materials.

According to Fashola who paid an unscheduled inspection tour to the site, government would assist them to build a more organized, safer market, saying the rebuilding process would be a synergy between the traders and the government.

The governor who was conducted round the market by the Special Duties Commissioner, Dr. Wale Ahmed and leaders of the market, said using insurance companies would also enable those skilled in the wood business to remain in business while also broadening the economy of the state and creating new jobs for the teeming unemployed.

According to him “I use this opportunity to appeal to all markets and warehouses that we should use insurance companies to insure our businesses, stocks, stock-in-trade and our inventory of goods. This is what insurance is for. If there were insurance in place, the people would have been talking to the insurance companies instead of the government.”

He also advised the market owners to call the toll free emergency number 767 in any emergency situation like fire or other disasters that required Government immediate intervention, saying  while the fire was raging at the market, people were calling him on the phone and sending text messages.

He  said “Accidents will happen. We cannot eliminate them totally because they are the inevitable but unfortunate consequences of human activity. When it happens, and I hope it will not be often, please call 767. It is an emergency number funded by taxpayers’ money. We will intervene and probably use this market as a model after it has been reconstructed. We will take them through insurance practice and we hope it is something that will gain foothold ultimately.”