By CHARLES IWUOHA

Sequel to further directive of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the Enugu State Fire Service, on Saturday, commenced the decontamination and fumigation of Ogbete Main Market, Enugu.

It would be recalled that the state fire service carried out the first phase of the exercise in the market on April 1, 2020, shortly after it was shut down by the state government as part of the proactive safety measures to contain the spread of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in the state.

During the first phase of the decontamination of the market, monitored by Gov. Ugwuanyi and heads of security agencies in the state, the State Chief Fire Officer, Engr. Okwudiri Ohaa, hinted newsmen that “the state government will fumigate major markets in the state before they are reopened”.

Addressing newsmen during the second phase of the decontamination, at Ogbete Main Market, Engr. Ohaa disclosed that the exercise will last for two days (Saturday and Sunday).

He added that the state government has been consistent with the exercise to ensure that “the fight against COVID-19 is won in Enugu State”.

The Chief Fire Officer maintained that the decontamination is a continuous one, stressing that “when the market reopens, it will be a weekly event”.

He, therefore, advised residents of the state to continue to adhere strictly to all the precautionary measures for the containment of the spread of COVID-19, including the guidelines on personal hygiene protocol by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), among others.

Reacting on behalf of the traders of Ogbete Main Market, the market’s Chief Security Officer, Justus Kasie Ezebinagu, commended Gov. Ugwuanyi for the initiative to decontaminate the market for the second time.

He promised that the traders will comply strictly with the government’s precautionary measures as well as the WHO and NCDC laid down protocol.

His words: “When we were told that the governor directed the fire service to come and fumigate this Ogbete Main market, it was highly commended. The whole market was happy because this is the second time they are coming to fumigate the market since this pandemic started.

“We thank our amiable governor for coming to our aid. We are happy; even though Ogbete is partially open for now, we believe that our governor is going to do more in our collective interest.”