River State government has pledged the sum of half a billion naira to support Sokoto State government in rebuilding the Sokoto Central market ravaged by fire on Tuesday morning.
According to a press statement issued by the Special Adviser Media and Publicity to the Sokoto State governor, Muhammad Bello, the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, who made the pledge, said part of the.money is also intended to support the victims of the inferno.
The statement said, Governor Wike, who visited Sokoto earlier yesterday, barely 24 hours after the disaster, said he was shocked and disturbed when he learnt about it.
Affirming that whatever affects Sokoto State also concerns Rivers, he said his administration will do all it takes to ensure that the affected market is reconstructed and becomes functional.
Earlier in his remarks, while conducting Governor Wike and his entourage around the fire disaster scene, Sokoto State governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal explained that the gutted market has 16,000 shops, out of which “at least 60 per cent were affected by the fire.”
After inspecting the scene, Gov. Wike and his entourage also paid a courtesy visit to the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar in his palace.
In his response, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Sultan Abubakar II, who noted the age-long relationship between Sokoto and Rivers, to expressed gratitude to the governor for his visit and support to the State.
