ENUGU FIRE: PRISONS TO BE RELOCATED?

Still counting losses of the Thursday fire tragedy in Enugu, the state government has declared its willingness to cooperate with and assist the Federal Government in the speedy re-location of the Enugu Prisons currently at the centre of the city.

The state governor Mr. Sullivan Chime made the promise when he received the Minister of Internal Affairs, Comrade Patrick Moro who was in Enugu to inspect the damage caused by fire that destroyed more than 30 houses at the Prisons and Police quarters.

The fire had started from a fuel tanker that fell and exploded as it negotiated a roundabout near the prison yard.

The governor who was represented by the deputy, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, said that the relocation of the prison yard was very necessary since the compound which used to be at the outskirts of the city had been swallowed up by urbanization.

Governor Chime said that government would provide land and other logistics to make the relocation faster so as to enable the staff continue to render their services to the state and Nigeria.

The governor described the incident as very unfortunate, adding that government would do every thing possible to alleviate the sufferings of those affected.

He also commended the minister for the visit and also the federal and state agencies including the state fire officers, the Civil Defence Corps, the federal Road Safety Commission for their efforts to prevent the fire from spreading far into the Ogbete Market.

The Minister, told the governor that he was in the state to assess the extent of damage caused by the fire and also to sympathize with the victims and condole with those who lost their dear ones.

He described the incident as very sad and said that this visit would enable him find the immediate and long term solution to avoid future occurrence of such disaster.