Tina Ezin, Calabar
The gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Comrade Effiom Papa Okokon has sympathized with the victims of the latest fire outbreak in Marian Market, Calabar, the Cross River State Capital.
This was contained in a press statement signed by the gubernatorial candidate and made a available to Newsmen in Calabar.
He said his heart was wrenched with agony at the level of destruction caused by the fire on livelihoods built and nurtured over the years by hardworking citizens.
While worried at the constant fire outbreak at the market, Okokon enjoined the traders to take heart and not be deterred by the setback.
The SDP governorship candidate called on the traders to be safety conscious and avoid activities that could lead to fire outbreak as he called on them to protect their source of livelihoods.
He urged the traders to form a fire safety unit which would oversee the maintenance of proper safety culture in the market.
Okokon who described small scale businesses as one of the very fundamental building blocks of the economy of every society, said any negative impact on them would equally affect the entire economy.
He however promised that if elected as governor, he would adequately train and equip the state emergency services on international best practices and standards.
Okokon said this would drastically reduce the level of loss in any disaster as well as put in place a mechanism for compensation.
