Ekpoma, NIGERIA – Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has fulfilled his pledge to the victims of the POWA Market fire in Ekpoma by commissioning the rebuilt complex and distributing ₦200 million in financial support.
Okay News reports that the Governor personally presented cheques to the affected traders during his visit to the site on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. Each of the shop owners, whose businesses were decimated by the January 11 fire outbreak, received the sum of ₦8 million to enable them to restock and restart their livelihoods.
Governor Okpebholo, who had visited the scene days after the incident to assess the damage, emphasized that the rapid reconstruction and disbursement were central to his administration’s “SHINE” agenda. He noted that the intervention was aimed at restoring not just the market stalls, but the hope and dignity of the Edo families affected by the tragedy.
“This is what governance means to me, standing with our people and taking real action when it matters most,” the Governor stated during the ceremony. The rebuilt Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA) complex now features modernized stalls, and traders expressed immense relief as they prepared to return to business in the fully restored facility.
