The Minister of the FCT, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello on Tuesday, paid an inspection visit to the Next Cash and Carry Supermarket, Abuja which was engulfed in flames on Boxing Day, 26th of December, 2021.
The minister was accompanied by the FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sunday Babaji, the Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Tpl. Umar Shuaibu and senior officials of the FCT Administration.
Read Also: FCTA to ‘sanction 435 owners of abandoned buildings in Abuja’
Bello, who was received on site by the General Manager of the Supermarket Mr Neil Pape and the Director of the FCT Fire Service, Engr Sanni Saidu, said the fire incident brought out the best in residents as they helped in salvaging goods which would otherwise have been lost to the fire.
He also commended the supermarket for having a functional fire hydrant system which assisted the Departments of Fire Services in controlling the blaze and preventing its further spread.
Thanking God that no life was lost, the minister once again sympathized with the management of the supermarket on the loss and recalled that Next cash and Carry supported the FCT at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic by donating palliatives.
“I really sympathize with NEXT, I feel so particularly because I recall during the peak of the COVID-19, NEXT, was among the companies that provided us palliative items which we distributed to vulnerable members of the community.
“Unfortunately, today they are also very vulnerable…so it is our duty in the city to rally round them, protect this important investment and generator of many jobs, and also give them all the needed support so that they bounce back stronger than what they were before” the minister added.
The minister also said that although the inferno hit the city hard due to the loss of jobs, he however continued that incidents such as this afford city managers and other relevant agencies the opportunity to review what happened and make amends to prevent future occurrence and minimize damages.
Meanwhile, the Management of Next Cash and Carry Supermarket has called for a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire outbreak at the store.
This is contained in a statement Tuesday evening on Facebook by the supermarket’s GM Mr Neil Pape Neil, who earlier conducted the minister round the premises.
“The company appeals to the investigating authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to ascertain the immediate and remote cause of the fire outbreak which is strange and has the effect of adversely affecting future investments in the FCT and Nigeria at large,” he said.
Neil maintained that the store was built and operated according to international standards, adding that the roof was fireproof and that it had a competent Firefighting truck in Abuja which has assisted the fire service in fire incidents in Abuja in the past.
The statement said, “Next Cash and Carry Facilities and Store were built and operated according to international standards.
The Roof covering of Next Cash & Carry building is fireproof. Next Cash and Carry limited have a competent Firefighting truck in Abuja which has assisted the FIRE SERVICE in several fire incidents in Abuja.
The company has fire extinguishers and fire hose reels connected to the hydrant placed in strategic positions all within the store under the FCT Fire service supervision.
The FCT Fire service conducts quarterly fire outbreak training for all staff & certifies all our operations. Next Cash and Carry has outsourced & employed a professional security company.
The company also has a staff strength of about 1000 direct and indirect staff and over 3000 vendors, with 200 farmers supplying items to the store.
