The spate of fire accidents in various markets in Lagos that have destroyed millions of properties is unacceptable because they’re mostly avoidable. Many of these accidents lead to this level of destruction largely because of poor city planning, endemic corruption in various regulatory agencies, and the abuse of safety standards.
Firstly, the Central Business District Authorities have not only been grossly incompetent, but their negligence of duty has been reprehensible. But for a lack of proper city planning that prevented fire fighters from accessing the burning buildings, the damage and destruction would have been limited. Managing cities requires much more that empowering thugs to extract levies and taxes that are never invested in improving the lives of the people. It is about making critical investments in public infrastructure like schools, hospitals, roads, affordable housing, and human capital development. It is about prioritizing the safety and well-being of the people.
Secondly, every market must have health and safety standards that are collectively enforced. These may not necessarily eliminate the possibilities of an accident but will surely reduce the possibility drastically. In such instances when these accidents do occur, they outbreak can be better managed and the damage limited.
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Thirdly, there is an urgent need to invest in alternative energy in our major markets to complement what is currently obtainable. We should not have major markets power with thousands of small generators that pose major risks of fire outbreaks, environmental pollution, and health challenges.
Finally, there must be a thorough investigation to establish the cause of the fire outbreak, and such findings should be made public. This investigation will help the state to put measures in place to prevent a reoccurrence of such an outbreak and to dispel the notion that some of these accidents are carefully planned to take over landed property and sell off to cronies.
Ultra-modern markets are good, but building markets that most people can not afford is a waste of taxpayers’ funds and is mostly a conduit for corruption. What needs to happen is to upgrade the infrastructure in and around the markets, improve safety standards, and invest in alternative energy.
#ourlagos
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