Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has donated N50m to the victims of the fire that gutted sections of Otukpo Main Market in the state.
Ortom, who announced the donation after inspecting the razed section of the market, said the amount was an interim support to the victims, pending the outcome of the report of a yet-to-be-formed committee.
According to the governor, the committee will probe the incident and possibly work out its relocation to accommodate more traders.
“The special committee comprising my cabinet members and the traders’ unions will be set up to liaise with Otukpo Council chairman to work out modalities on how the money will be shared among the victims.
“The Otukpo Main Market is no longer sufficient for the traders. I will mandate cabinet members to join the chairman to work out things for them to move to a new site.
“Also, we will press on all those traders, who took government to court, to withdraw all the cases,” he said.
The governor added that his administration was disturbed by insecurity in Otukpo and environs.
“You must join hands to do this, to draw investment in Otukpo. We must be agents of change and volunteer information to security agencies,” Ortom added.
