The member representing Nwangele/Nkwerre/ Isu/ Njaba Federal Constituency of Imo State, Ugonna Ozurigbo, on Sunday donated N1m to Dominic Oluka, one of the victims of Ochanja fire outbreak last week.
Ozurigbo, who is the immediate past deputy speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, said at the presentation of the cheque to the victim in Owerri, that he was touched by a photograph of Oluka which went viral on the social media after fire destroyed the market.
He said that as a businessman, he knew what it meant for a trader to lose all his goods to fire.
Ozurigbo, who is the chairman House of Representatives committee on justice, said he believed the N1m would help the trader.
He urged wealthy Igbo men to help victims of the fire.
He said, “My wife and I presented a cheque of N1m to Mr Oluka Dominic to help him resuscitate his business that was unfortunately burnt down by the Onitsha market fire.
“I believe that this amount will help you start to your feet again. I was moved by a photograph which went viral on the social media. I immediately instructed my aides to go on a fact-finding mission to find you.”
The beneficiary said he was marveled by the lawmaker’s benevolence, promising to forget his loss and reestablish his business.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, on Sunday called on the Anambra State Government to change its fire prevention strategy to avoid a repeat of the fire incident.
In a letter signed by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media, Nwachukwu Obidiwe, which was addressed to the state Governor, Willie Obiano, Ngige, who was a former governor in the state, described the incident as tragic.
The letter read in part, “It is soothing, comforting and assuring however that the state government has empanelled a high level inquiry, chaired by the Deputy Governor to establish the cause of the fire, offer succour and cushion the effect of the disaster. The time calls for urgent change of strategies to prevent future occurrences and save our people from further loss and agony.”