On August 12, 2020, a fire incident destroyed over 200 businesses at Ika-Ika Oqua (Marian) Market, Calabar. Cross River’s State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA also confirms that following fire incidents on April 8 and March 27, 2024; a total of 649 shops and 32 motorcycles were burnt while a life was lost at Ikom Main Market. Traders at these markets and urban areas affected by fire incidents across the State say that the government has neglected them to their fate, leaving them hopeless with unfulfilled promises of intervention, CrossRiverWatch’s Godwin Otang reports.
Tales Of Sorrow And Loses
Between January and April 2024, Cross River State has recorded about 10 fire incidents. In 2022, the Federal Fire Service recorded 20 fire incidents and losses worth N9 billion naira. Similarly, the Cross River State Fire Service (CRSFS), says it has recorded more than 200 fire incidents between 2019 and 2023 in the State, most of which were not successfully put under control, spelling doom for business.
When CrossRiverWatch’s reporter visited the Ika-Ika Oqua Market, it took the intervention of Mr. Asuquo Etim, Chairman of the Market’s Traders Union for the traders to agree to grant interviews. With many still yet to recover their losses after the horrible inferno, four years ago, some of the women traders pulled off their hair scarves in anger and rained abuses as they expressed their grievances.
“Don’t blame the women, they are angry because they say the government has rejected them after their sources of livelihood were razed in the fire outbreak. Many local government people and non-profit organizations have come here taking records and writing names of victims many times, but to date, nobody has received help,” explained Mr. Etim.
Mrs. Glory Uju Anayor who runs a bookshop at the Market, recalls being at home on the day of the fire incident.
“It was around 10:00 pm when I received a call that my shop was on fire. Before I could reach here, everything was gone. I could not rescue even one pin from my shop. You can see that my shop is empty. I had to borrow money to rebuild the shop and get some goods. It’s been difficult since then,” she lamented.
One of the traders who gave only her first name as Imaobong, has been unable to rebuild her frozen chicken business since the devastating fire outbreak. Despite being one of those who first got to the market to put out the fire, she lost everything; her refrigerators, goods, and other valuables. She now peels melon to earn a living.
For Police Officer, Mr. Godsent Udop, his wife, and four children, the fire that gutted their home in December 2023, has led to very tough times. Udop recalls “It was on the first of December 2023 that the tragedy struck; my wife had traveled with our 4-month-old twin babies, while I had prepared the other two kids aged 8 and 6 years, for school. I was at my duty post when I got a distress call at about 2:pm that my compound was on fire, before I could reach home, everything was burnt down.”
He added, “We called the fire service but they never responded. I am starting life from scratch, so whenever I hear about fire incidents, I feel sad, it is not what you should wish even your enemy.”
Ekaete Samuel Akpan, a middle-aged woman who had also lost her house and property to a fire outbreak in Calabar, says she barely can feed herself comfortably, as life has been unbearable since the incident.
Affected Businesses Struggle Amidst Inflation, Bank Loans
Business owners often struggle after fire incidents. Trying to rebuild their business premises, pay rent, and restock their shops is almost impossible for many of them.
Favour Chinwe Adeyemi, one of those who managed to survive the fire incident at Marian Market, was forced to opt for loans to save her business and now struggles to pay back.
She said, “Some of us are still on loans. The loans are running and the interest is accumulating. It has affected me a lot, you know at my growth level and suddenly everything came crashing down. Inflation has made things worse and due to the new Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) policy; the interest rates rose very high again. For a loan of N500,000 naira, a trader is returning N1.3 million naira to the banks, and between 3 to 4 years. I personally still have about N300,000 naira to pay, so I really need assistance. I really wish the Government could help us the traders no matter how little, we will appreciate it.”
Other traders who spoke to CrossRiverWatchexpressed their wish for the government to provide insurance covers or financial aid for survivors of fire incidents. The Ika-Ika Oqua market Traders Union Chairman, Asuquo Etim lauded the Bassey Out-led state government for its considerate taxation of traders but decried how the situation of the traders had deteriorated since the fire incident and the lack of support from the government.
He said, “People that were affected were down for months, some have not even recovered till now. There are a lot of spaces and shops that have not re-opened till now. It was that fire incident that sent them home, it was a terrible one.
“We have written to the government, we have visited, but nothing has been done. Some NGOs and some other people who said they were in charge of palliatives came here with blank forms without headings, took our names, several times but nothing has been done about it. We also filled forms from Calabar Municipality. We are appealing that this time, let the Government hear our cry. The former LGA Chairman kept promising us that something would come out of it, but by the time he left office last year 2023, nothing good came out of it.”
Dealers in all types of beverages, simply identified as Mr. and Mrs. David are one of the few who have been able to start afresh because of financial support from friends and customers. They get the goods on credit and pay after sales. “Whenever I hear about fire incidents, I feel depressed because I have experienced it before. No one is usually there to help in this our Nigeria. So, for me, instead of waiting, it’s better to get a loan somewhere to start all over again,” said Mrs. David.
State Fire Service Decries Low Budget, Poor Facilities
Cross River State Fire and Rescue Service (CRSFS) Public Relations Officer, CFO Peter Daniel Ewona described the challenges facing the agency as enormous. During an interview with CrossRiverWatch, he explained that they have not had fire trucks or utility vehicles since 2020.
Ewona noted that the agency has to deal with poor infrastructure, lack of manpower, and ICT. They also do not have enough fire stations; with only 10 fire stations and 8 safety Units in the State instead of at least 100 fire stations.
The CRSFS spokesperson also noted that despite the low budgetary allocations to the agency, they are not empowered to execute the budget and have no idea how the money allocated for the fire service is spent.
“The budgets are allocated but in turn executed by the State, so those budgets have not helped the CRSFS in any way. If those monies were executed by the service, you would have seen improvements. We only hear the budgetary allocation but we do not execute them. The money does not get to us, it has not reached the CRSFS, it is only on paper. We have no idea how the Government executes our annual budgets,” he said.
Senior business coach and entrepreneur, Dr. Thomas Chidozie, remarked that action needs to be taken by both State and nonstate actors including individuals to remedy the situation. He cautioned against turning deaf ears to the present fire epidemics in Cross River State, warning that it could spell avoidable consequences.
“The Government at all levels needs to do more to protect Businesses and households especially as it concerns fire incidents management in Cross River State, because it is becoming an epidemic. Businesses too, must begin to think about insurance covers for their businesses since the government is failing,” said Dr. Chidozie.
This report is produced with support from Civic Media Lab (CML)