Governor Alex Otti on Friday carried out an unscheduled inspection visit to a facility associated with Nigerian Breweries Plc in Aba, following a fire outbreak that occurred the previous day.
The visit was aimed at assessing the extent of damage caused by the incident, which took place at an open area leased from the Nigerian Railway Corporation.
GoNews reported earlier that fire broke out at the Nigerian Breweries Facility around 3:20 p.m. on Thursday but was successfully contained before 6:00 p.m. The blaze affected only empty crates, with no bottles involved and no casualties recorded.
During the visit, the governor commended the prompt response of the Abia State Fire Service, describing their actions as both timely and effective in preventing the fire from spreading further.
Reflecting on the incident, Otti expressed relief that the situation did not escalate into a more serious disaster, while emphasizing the need for constant vigilance and preparedness.
“Looking at that place, it’s probably the last place that you’d expect to have a fire incident because it was just on its own, in an open field, so anything could have happened,” he said.
“It could be a match, it could be a cigarette or anything, but you should be prepared, like the Boy Scouts will say, while we pray it doesn’t happen again.”
He explained that although he had been monitoring developments closely, he initially did not realise the affected site was linked to Nigerian Breweries due to its location away from the main facility.
“It was much later after the incident had been contained that I knew it was a Nigerian Breweries facility because it is far away from here,” he said, noting that digital tracking systems did not immediately identify the company.
The governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to supporting businesses, stressing that government policies are designed to create a conducive environment for investors to thrive.
“What the government owes investors is an enabling environment for their business to continue to do well, and that is what the new Abia speaks about,” he added.
Providing further clarification during the inspection, the brewery’s management, represented by Chief Engineer Benjamin Okore, explained that the affected area was not part of the main production plant.
He stated that the company activated its internal emergency response system immediately the fire was detected before calling for additional support, including the state fire service.
Okore confirmed that the fire was fully extinguished before 6:00 p.m. through coordinated efforts and noted that an assessment of the damage was still ongoing.
He also praised the Abia State Fire Service for its role in successfully containing the incident.
