Frank Nweke Jr, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, governorship candidate in Enugu state, has commiserated with the management and staff of SolidFM after the renowned station was gut by fire on Saturday morning, destroying properties worth millions.
Arriving at the scene shortly after the incident, the Guber candidate expressed relief that no life was lost, while regretting that the incident happened during the harmattan and in the midst of unfavourable economic conditions.
“SolidFM is a very important voice for our people, for commerce, democracy, human rights and the projection of everything Enugu stands for. This studio is one of the best in the State. It is my prayer that you are able to bounce back quickly and you can be assured of our support in any way that we can help. We need your voice.” Nweke stated.
Noting that the station has been transmitting for 10 years, Nweke identified that the incident was a reminder of the need to further strengthen the State’s fire service while further hinting that, Ndi-Enugu should also be re-oriented and adequately sensitised about the dangers of bush burning.
“We need to ensure that our Emergency response services are well equipped and well trained to respond speedily to these situations. It is also important that we educate our citizens on the dangers of open incineration, especially in urban areas”, he added.
The fire incident occurred between the hours of 8 am and 9 am on Saturday. Unfortunately, the studio was already destroyed before the arrival of the firefighters.
According to a report from an eyewitness, the fire erupted from a nearby building where residents were burning bushes before it spread to the roof of the SolidFM studio. Solid FM, located at 10B Savage Crescent GRA, Enugu, began transmission in 2012 and runs under the frequency of 100.9.