{"id":20498,"date":"2026-08-23T21:38:46","date_gmt":"2026-08-23T21:38:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edumarkng.com\/news\/otu-assures-spar-fire-victims-of-government-assistance\/"},"modified":"2026-08-23T21:38:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T21:38:46","slug":"otu-assures-spar-fire-victims-of-government-assistance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edumarkng.com\/news\/otu-assures-spar-fire-victims-of-government-assistance\/","title":{"rendered":"Otu assures SPAR fire victims of government assistance"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Otu assures SPAR fire victims of government assistance, \"Otu<\/p>\n

By Emma Una<\/strong><\/p>\n

CALABAR \u2014 Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, has assured victims of Saturday\u2019s fire outbreak at SPAR shopping complex in Calabar of government assistance, promising immediate intervention to mitigate their losses and support the recovery of affected businesses.<\/p>\n

The governor\u2019s assurance was conveyed by his Deputy, Dr Peter Odey, who visited the scene to assess the extent of the damage and sympathise with the management and traders affected by the inferno.<\/p>\n

Odey said the state government was deeply concerned about the incident and would not abandon those who suffered losses.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis Excellency, the Governor, is deeply concerned about this unfortunate incident. We are here to identify with the management, the traders and everyone who has been affected, and to assure them that they are not alone at this difficult moment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He added that the government would assess the damage and determine the immediate assistance required by the victims.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe government will not abandon anybody who has suffered losses as a result of this incident. We are going to assess the extent of damage and determine what immediate intervention is required to assist the victims and support their recovery process,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Deputy Governor said the exact cause of the fire had yet to be established, although preliminary indications suggested a possible electrical fault.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have spoken with the management, but at this stage, we cannot conclusively say what caused the fire. There are indications that it may have been electrical, but we must allow the appropriate authorities to conduct their investigations before arriving at a definitive conclusion,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Odey disclosed that the Director-General of the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, had commenced arrangements to assess the damage and determine the immediate needs of those affected.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Director-General of SEMA is already on the matter. The agency will carry out a proper assessment of the damage, identify the victims and establish the areas where immediate relief is required,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He stressed that the government\u2019s intervention would go beyond sympathising with the victims, adding that efforts would be made to support affected businesses to resume operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur objective is not just to come here, sympathise with the victims and leave. We want to see how government can support them to get back on their feet,\u201d Odey said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will provide the necessary support within the capacity of government to ensure that the affected businesses can resume operations as soon as reasonably possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Deputy Governor commended the Cross River State Fire Service for its prompt response to the emergency, noting that the agency had been adequately equipped by the state government.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to commend the Cross River State Fire Service. They responded promptly and professionally to this emergency. This is why it is important for us to continue investing in our emergency-response institutions. When disaster strikes, every minute matters,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He also acknowledged the intervention of the Federal Fire Service, saying the collaboration between the state and federal firefighters helped to contain the fire and prevent further spread.<\/p>\n

Odey paid tribute to the firefighters for their courage and sacrifice in protecting lives and property.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese men and women put their lives on the line to save lives and property. We must appreciate their courage, their professionalism and their commitment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He equally commended the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies for maintaining order around the complex and preventing looting or other criminal activities.<\/p>\n

\u201cI commend the police and all the other security agencies that have remained here to secure the premises. They have ensured that the unfortunate situation was not compounded by looting or other criminal activities. That is extremely important,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Odey further disclosed that the state government was taking proactive measures to address environmental and infrastructural challenges that could expose residents to further danger.<\/p>\n

He said water was being redirected from Channel 1 to protect houses and other structures along the affected drainage corridor.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have already started redirecting the water from Channel 1. The objective is to ensure that houses along that line are no longer exposed to the danger of collapse. We cannot wait until another disaster occurs before we act,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Deputy Governor expressed concern over the series of emergencies recorded in Calabar within a short period, including fire outbreaks and landslides.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is regrettable that Calabar has witnessed a number of calamities within a short period. We have had fires, landslides and other emergencies, and these incidents require us to look beyond individual responses. We must strengthen our preventive measures and our capacity to respond when emergencies occur,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He disclosed that the state government was engaging relevant federal institutions, including the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, the South-South Development Commission, SSDC, and agencies responsible for the National Ecological Fund, to address challenges requiring additional resources and technical support.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are engaging with NEMA, the South-South Development Commission and the National Ecological Fund because some of these challenges require resources and technical intervention beyond what the state can do alone,\u201d Odey said.<\/p>\n

The post Otu assures SPAR fire victims of government assistance<\/a> appeared first on Vanguard News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

, <\/p>\n

By Emma Una CALABAR \u2014 Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, has assured victims of Saturday\u2019s fire outbreak at SPAR shopping complex in Calabar of government assistance, promising immediate intervention to mitigate their losses and support the recovery of affected businesses. The governor\u2019s assurance was conveyed by his Deputy, Dr Peter Odey, who visited [\u2026]<\/p>\n

The post Otu assures SPAR fire victims of government assistance<\/a> appeared first on Vanguard News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

, , Nwafor, {authorlink},, , Vanguard News, August 23, 2026, 9:38 pm<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Otu assures SPAR fire victims of government assistance, By Emma Una CALABAR \u2014 Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, has assured victims of Saturday\u2019s fire outbreak at SPAR shopping complex in Calabar of government assistance, promising immediate intervention to mitigate their losses and support the recovery of affected businesses. The governor\u2019s assurance was conveyed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20499,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cdn.vanguardngr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-08-23-at-1.53.44-PM.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,1930],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-news-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t