Unfulfilled Promises Following Jos Market Fire: A Call for Accountability
By Sani Dahiru Yahaya
On Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at around 10:00 p.m., a devastating fire engulfed the Jos Terminus Main Market for the third time, destroying over 500 shops and causing widespread losses. The blaze, which raged until the early hours of Wednesday, April 30, 2025, resulted in massive financial damage, with estimated losses running into billions of naira.
Plateau State, home to over 3.5 million people and rich in cultural diversity—including the Afizere, Berom, Ngas, Anaguta, Tarok, and others—deserves better. We pride ourselves on our cool weather, scenic highlands, and legacy of tin mining. However, no state can thrive if its traders—the lifeblood of its economy—are left to suffer in silence after such calamities.
Shockingly, the state fire service—located less than a kilometer away—was nowhere to be found during the incident. This raises pressing questions:
Where were they?
Were they not alerted?
Or did they simply fail to respond?
In a state known as the “Home of Peace and Tourism,” such a lapse in emergency response is deeply disturbing and highlights glaring inadequacies in disaster preparedness.
The state government must act—not tomorrow, not next week, but now. Immediate intervention is required in the form of food, shelter, financial aid, and a thorough investigation into the fire service’s failure to respond.
Despite the slow response from the authorities, some notable individuals rose to the occasion, visiting the scene, commiserating with victims, and offering financial and material support. Among them were Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, who donated ₦2 million; Alhaji Sadeeq Plaza, ₦3 million; an anonymous businesswoman who contributed ₦10 million; Alhaji Wada Kawu, ₦1 million; and Alhaji Jinjiri, who donated ₦100,000. Others also provided building materials to assist with the reconstruction of destroyed shops.
In another development, the Plateau State Government pledged to provide financial support, relief materials, rebuilding efforts, and a comprehensive investigation aimed at preventing future occurrences. However, the timeline and modalities for this support remain vague, as no visible action has followed the promises.
If we truly believe in peace and progress, let us prove it. Traders are the heartbeat of our economy. Abandoning them is not just unjust—it is perilous.
Furthermore, amid the hardship facing the victims, the government released a circular instructing people to vacate the area known as “Palon Buhari,” claiming the land is needed for official use. This directive, issued at such a sensitive time, reflects insensitivity to the human suffering involved.
Since the inception of the current administration, economic development in Plateau State has taken a downturn. Rather than empowering citizens, the so-called Plateau Master Plan has only resulted in the destruction of businesses and livelihoods.
Sani Dahiru Yahaya
Mass Communication Department,
Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi
Email: dahirsani869@gmail.com
Phone: 0704 645 7694