The Cross River State Government has assured victims of the fire incident at the SPAR shopping complex in Calabar of its support.
According to a statement by the Deputy Governor’s Press Unit, Government House, Calabar, Deputy Governor Rt. Hon. Dr. Peter Odey gave the assurance on Saturday when he visited the scene on behalf of Governor Bassey Otu to assess the situation and sympathise with those affected.
Odey, according to the statement, said he had interacted with the manager of the store and noted that the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, although it might have been electrical.
He assured the affected businesses that the government would not abandon them, adding that the Director-General of the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, was already taking steps to assess the extent of the damage and provide immediate relief.
The Deputy Governor also assured the victims of government support to enable the affected businesses resume operations as soon as possible, while measures would be taken to prevent a recurrence.
He commended the Cross River State Fire Service for responding promptly to the incident and also appreciated the Federal Fire Service for joining efforts to contain the blaze.
Odey further commended the firefighters for putting their lives at risk to bring the fire under control, as well as the police and other security agencies for securing the area and preventing the affected shops from being looted.
The statement said the Deputy Governor also disclosed that water was being redirected from Channel 1, assuring that houses along the line would no longer be at risk of collapse.
Odey regretted that Calabar had experienced a series of calamities within a short period, including fire incidents and landslides.
He said the state government was working with federal agencies, including the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, the South-South Development Commission, SSDC, and the National Ecological Fund, to respond to the situation and support affected residents.
The Deputy Governor reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to responding promptly to emergencies and protecting lives and property across Cross River State.
