The Minister of Labour and Employment , Dr. Chris Ngige , on Saturday visited the scene of the tanker fire accident at DMGS roundabout in Onitsha , Anambra State to see the extent of damage done by the inferno .
Commenting on the burnt bookstores and the volume of goods destroyed, Ngige lamented “This is the destruction of a generation . My daughter bought a book here for her medical course. This was after we searched for the book in many bookshops across the country without success ,”
No fewer than 10 houses and 30 vehicles were razed in the fire .
The minister assured the Onitsha fire victims of the support of the Federal Government, although he described the destruction as massive , said the Federal Government would find a way to come in to assuage the pains of the victims through the National Directorate of Employment
Ngige , who thanked God that no life was lost , accused the state government for poor fire -fighting initiative .
He condemned the situation where the state would continue to be relying on fire – fighting arrangements from neighbouring Delta State .
The minister condemned the siting of filling stations in residential areas , adding that the Federal Government would come up with a regulation to stop such act .
He advised the Department of Petroleum Resources to consider occupational safety in siting new filling stations .
