The Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, Abinye Pepple, has extended his sympathy to victims of a fire outbreak at Macaulay Street in Bonny, Rivers State, assuring that the Bonny Fire Station will take by June 2026.
Pepple made this known on Thursday, May 7, 2026 in response to an inquiry by Kristina Reports following a fire outbreak on Macaulay Street in Bonny, which destroyed several properties and left business owners counting their losses estimated at over ₦100 million.
He asserted that plans for the take-off of the Bonny Fire Station remains on course, with operations expected to commence by the end of June as earlier announced.
He explained that the delay in commencement is due to the need to assure a follow-through process which he said includes securing legislative approval and ensuring that the project is properly backed by law before public funds are committed.
“We are ensuring that we get the legislative approval and signed into law before we can use taxpayers’ money to pay salaries of those who will work there,” the Chairman stated.
The Bonny Local Government Chief Executive further noted that all necessary frameworks have been put in place to enable the local government eventually take full ownership of the project and manage it effectively.
The fire incident has raised concerns among residents and business owners about safety measures and emergency response capacity in the area, with many calling for urgent action to prevent future occurrence.
He regretted that owners of the affected properties had to suffer such pain due to the losses incurred in the fire incident, assuring that his administration would do all it can to ensure that such incidents are reduced and response time is reduced to the barest minimum where they occur.
He advised residents to also adhere to safety precautions by ensuring that appliances are not left unattended, electrical gadgets are switched when not in use and be generally vigilant with regards to the utilization of electricity.