Onitsha Chemical Explosion: Owners Of Demolished Shops To Gain Access Quench Inferno Beg For Assistance

By Julie Sylvia, Onitsha

Owners of 32 shops deliberately demolished to gain access to the scene of the chemical explosion that occurred on 8th November, 2022, at the Onitsha Bridgehead drug,( Ogbogwu), market, Anambra State, have petitioned Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, urging for #30million assistance, to enable them commence the reconstruction of the demolished shops.

In a three page petition to the Governor, signed by the chairman of the affected traders, and secretary, Hon. Ume Livinus Onyebuchi and Mr. Kingsley Mbadiwe, respectively, the traders recalled that on the fateful day of the incident, they voluntarily gave out their shops to be demolished to allow the excavator have easy penetration to the scene of the incident for the rescue of lives and properties of the traders.

“We, owners of 32 shops, out of sympathy and compassion for the plights of those affected by the inferno, allowed and gave up our shops numbering 32, to be demolished, in order to grant access to the excavator, to get to the buildings affected by the fire.

“It is important to inform Mr. Governor that our shops were not the only one and most convenient access to the site of the inferno. There were other shops that were close to the scene of the incident but the owners could not make the sacrifice,” they stated.

They lamented that for three weeks of the incident, and sacrifice made to save lives and properties, they have been rendered helpless and as such needed at least #30million to commence rebuilding of the 32 shops.

“We are by this letter, appeal to you, our Governor, to help us as we seek to reconstruct our shops which were not part of the shops gutted by fire but demolished to enable excavator access to the scene of the incidence.

“Mr. Governor, we have been idle for the past three weeks as our place of business has been demolished and source of living kept in abeyance since then. This was so in order to sympathise with the victims of the inferno. This we believe was the most honourable thing to do.

“We are about to start the reconstruction of our shops and we have bills and dependants to careter for . We appeal to you sir, to come to our rescue by way of financial commitment to the reconstruction project which has been estimated to gulp the sum of #30million. We seek your support giving the fact that we are experiencing some financial challenges regarding the reconstruction project”, the letter read in part.

The letter was copied to the Transition Committee chairman of Onitsha South Local Government Area, President General, Bridgehead market, Hon. Chinedu, Commissioner of Police, Mr. Echeng E. Echeng and Director, State Security Services, Awka.