MachineS, materials and other property estimated at millions of naira were on Thursday gutted by fire at the Onitsha industrial area of Anambra State.
The incident, our correspondent gathered, occurred at the polythene section of the area, popularly called Polythene Producers Industrial Cluster.
A witness, Ekene Uzor, told our correspondent that the fire began at about 12.55am.
“The midnight fire destroyed machines, goods and raw materials worth millions of naira,” Uzor said.
When PUNCH Metro visited the scene, victims of the fire were seen in clusters bemoaning their fates.
Some of them, who spoke to newsmen, including the Chairman of the industrial area, Mr. Anthony Ubakasi, attributed the fire to power surge.
One of them said, “Epileptic power supply from the electricity distribution company often results in power surge. And that is what we suspect caused this destruction.”
Ubakasi said some of the small scale traders would have saved their property if they were working overnight.
“Unfortunately, the electricity distribution company gives them two hours power supply at night. This was why they stopped working overnight because the two hours is not even enough for their machines to heat up for production.
“We blame the electricity distribution company and the government for not recognising our contribution to industrialisation and reduction of unemployment. Epileptic power supply and refusal by government to give us land for expansion, have continued to draw us backward,” he added.
The traders appealed to the Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, to visit the scene and compensate them for the losses.
A victim, Chuks Eze, told PUNCH Metro that he lost about N40m.
Another trader, Mr. Ikechukwu Emehige, said he lost about N15m.
Paul Agadinulo, another victim, said he lost a printing machine he bought for N8m and installed in September 2017, to the fire.
“I lost my IPA, Butternol, rolls of BOPP, more that 50 rubber stereos and gallons of ink worth over N13m, making an approximate of N15m loss,” he added.
Chika Eze, a soap producer, who broke down in tears while speaking to journalists, said he lost a crushing machine valued at N3m, adding that his total loss was about N9m.
A woman, Eunice Onuora, said she lost about N17m worth of goods to the inferno, including two bottom sealing machines worth N10m, three side sealing machines worth N1.9m, a cutting machine worth N1.7m, two tonnes of raw materials worth N2m, and rolls of raw materials and finished goods worth N1.5m.
|Punch
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