Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has dissociated himself from a statement issued on his behalf suggesting that the fire outbreak in Kano was punishment for the sins of the people. Dogara’s denial was contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, yesterday in Abuja. It read:
“The attention of the office of the Hon. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Yakubu Dogara, has been drawn to a statement purportedly issued from his office on the Kano market fire disaster on Saturday, March 26, 2016.
“The statement quoted the Speaker as saying that it is only when people are godly that such incidents will cease to occur, thereby implying that the fire outbreak is punishment for sin allegedly committed by businessmen and women in Sabon Gari market, Kano.
“We wish to make it categorically clear that the said statement does not in any way reflect or represent the opinion and official position of Mr.Speaker”. According to the statement: “As a responsible and responsive leader, the Rt. Hon. Speaker could never have blamed the incident on the same people who lost their properties worth millions of Naira in the inferno.
“It would be recalled that Mr. Speaker sent a powerful and strong delegation of leaders and members of the House of Representatives to console with the people and government of Kano State when a similar incident occurred last month.
“We strongly believe that what the people need at this moment of their loss is empathy and not chastisement.
Meanwhile, the President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki yesterday, commiserated with victims of Saturday’s fire disaster in Kano.
