Six years after multiple fires devastated major markets in Benin City and surrounding areas, Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has commenced the rebuilding of the affected markets, rekindling hope for traders who lost goods worth millions of naira.
Between October 2019 and January 2020, fires razed key markets including Uwelu auto spare parts in Egor, Santana Market in Ikpoba Okha, a shopping complex at Oliha Market, Ekiosa Market, and New Benin Market in Oredo.
The blaze at Ekiosa also damaged parts of the EDPA building along Sakponba Road.
Many traders, left stranded by the infernos, resorted to makeshift stalls and walkways to keep their businesses alive, but their expectations for quick government intervention were unmet.
The incidents sparked political controversy, with the then-governing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) trading accusations.
In 2023, former Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration alleged that arsonists set the fires deliberately, accusing the APC of using the tragedy as a political strategy ahead of elections.
Now, with reconstruction underway, displaced traders are optimistic that the rebuilding will restore their businesses and boost commercial activity in the state.
According to him, “For specifics, in 2020, there were fire incidents in Oba market; Uwelu spare parts market; EDPA building; Santana market; Oliha market and Oka market, among others. The APC, at the time, campaigned with these incidents.
“We are seeing a familiar trend in Edo State today as the elections are drawing close. It is indeed curious that since the elections in 2020 till date, we barely had fire incidents in markets. But today, out of the blues, we now have reports of fires in markets. Before you know it, the spokesman for the APC campaign in Edo State is out there crying blue murder that markets are on fire. What manner of witchcraft is that? When did they start caring for Edo people, when we know what they are after is the peoples’ patrimony. The faux tone of care and concern is overused and suspect.
“It is pertinent that we take these matters seriously. It is suspicious and not even circumstantial that the APC is the one reporting these fire incidents. We dare say that they must know about the cause of the fire. It is and has always been a campaign tool for them because they are primitive in their campaign strategies.
“We call on the relevant security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Police Force, to investigate these incidents and invite the leadership of the APC in Edo State to answer serious questions as to what would have been the cause of the fire and how they happen to be using them as a campaign tool.”
“We want to let Edo APC know that we are very well abreast of their antics. This trend, we are sure, will not end with just markets. There will be more targets. They would migrate even to public buildings. The security architecture is being placed on high alert in anticipation of these desperate moves.”
It was in 2024, few months to the governorship election, that former Governor Obaseki flagged off construction of the Ekiosa market.
The market, upon completion, would have 24/7 electricity, internet connectivity, Primary Health Centre and other other facilities. Traders who had stores in the markets before the fire incident four years ago, were asked to should go to the Council Secretariat for verification and validation.
Obaseki vowed he would fulfill his promise to rebuild the burnt markets before the end of his tenure but he never did.
In May this year, Governor Monday Okpebholo approved re-construction of the Oba market. Contractor has been mobilised to site. Drains inside the Oba Market has been desilted. Before the construction of the markets, Governor Okpebholo had banned activities of market unions to curb high cost of goods and services.
A visit to the market showed work was ongoing at the Oba Market. The market was being remodeled in line with modern day demand.
Traders now dispaly their wares on the fence of the market pending when the market woukd be rebuilt. Some of the traders who spoke expressed joy at the pace of work. They prayed the contractor complete the project before the Yuletide season. What worried the traders was activities of middlemen in the allocation of shops.
It was gathered that many of the shops at the Oba market were allocated to some individuals, who inturn, gave them out to the traders at exorbitant rates.
A trader said she paid N200,000 annually for a shop whereas checks showed that the local council allocated the shops at between N15,000 and N25,000 annually.
One of the traders who gave her name as Kate said the work was not as fast as they expected it to be. She said she hoped to get her shop back after completion of the market.
She praised Governor Okpebholo for wiping away their sufferings.
Another trader, Sandra Ikpomen, called for preference tone given to traders affected most by the inferno.
“I was selling hair, perfume, jewelry and other things that were not as expensive as they are now. I took some loans, repaid some and took more to remain in business. I appreciate their work, it is like they work at night sometimes. For me, I am okay here even though I am not relocated but those that were really affected, are now at the back of the market where they are hardly seen, I was just two years here when the place burnt, there are people who had been there for over twenty years.
“Some of them now sell snacks, some sachet water because they could not recover, these are people who had big shops. The compensation the previous government brought, we didn’t know they shared it, I got only N80,000, some people got N400,000. You know the way things work in Nigeria it is who you. I didn’t know how much was brought and some people did not get a dime from it.”
Head of markets in Edo State, Pastor Josephine Ibhaguezejele, hailed Governor Okpebholo for listening to their cries to rebuild the Oba market.
She said, “All I want to say is thank you to the governor who came to our peoples rescue because since he came to office he has been nice and kind to the traders, all the promises he is fulfilling them, he promised that as soon as he enters office, he will rebuild the market. The market was congested and that is why you see traders shading along the road side, the area that was burnt was almost collapsing.
“I went there for inspection and I sent a message to the governor and his response was that he will soon visit the project and less than a month, I was called upon to come to the market and the contractor said the government has approved and paid part of the market, we are all so happy not just because he is building, when the have they have the shops and space, their goods will be safe because they will not be taking their goods home every day. Our governor is not only Akpakorescue, I call him Akpomessiah of Edo State
“The former owners of the burnt shops will get priority because they have their papers, those papers that they were given by the local government when the stalls were allocated to them, will be used to allocate them their stalls, I will make sure that they get their stalls before we will listen to any other person because they lost their goods to the inferno”.
Edo Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Hon Paul Ohonbamu,.assured that Governor Okpebholo has shown committment to restoring the market to its lost glory.
According to him, “The exco approved it and the people have been mobilized to remodel and build the burnt part and other parts of the market. The restructuring will touch the entire market. The governor is serious about it and mobilization has been done and once exco approves, it shows that everything concerning procurement has been done including the state tenders board.”
The Oba Market is an historical market located in the heart of Benin City. Its completion will add to the beauty of the city and perhaps reduce incidences of street trading.
