Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, yesterday declared that the state and the people affected in the January 16, 2024 explosion in Bodija, Ibadan, will come out stronger, as the government had been working out a long-term solution to the challenges posed by the incident.
The governor stated that the government had been battling with the fallout of the incident, including providing medical attention to casualties, giving temporary accommodation to victims and dealing with the security aspect of the incident.
A statement by the Special Adviser (Media), Sulaimon Olanrewaju, quoted the governor as saying that there had also been the humanitarian side of things, especially with regards to children affected by the incident, who are supposed to be in school.
Governor Makinde stated this when he received members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by its chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
He said: “Yes, we have been battling with the fallout from the incident; we have been trying to give the affected people temporary accommodation so that they can continue their lives.
“Also, we have the people who got injured and need medical attention and the humanitarian side of it where some children are supposed to be in school now. So, it is still very early days and we have to look at a long term solution. We are also dealing with the security aspect of the incident.
“So, you need to keep encouraging us and supporting us where possible as well as keep praying for us.”
The governor appreciated the PDP BoT for its visit to the state, which he described as encouraging, noting that it indicated that the body was looking out for his government.
He added that the visit of the body, which included Nigerians from different parts of the country, was also an indication of the fact that the country is one.
The governor also used the opportunity of the visit to pledge his support for the unity of the party, saying he would continue to play a positive role towards ensuring that the PDP becomes united and formidable.
Makinde, who also charged the BoT members to, as the conscience of the party, put in the work towards steering the party in the right direction, added that he has been reaching out to colleague-governors to ensure that the party becomes more united.
He said: “Regarding our party, I am proud of the role the BoT is playing. I received the letter and have responded to the letter. I did not mince words in terms of what we should be doing as a party. Unity is important and we have to unite.
“Yes, it is normal to disagree within ourselves because what is facing me may be backing somebody else. But it is important that we seek alignment to reduce those areas of disagreement or friction, and you are already leading the charge, and I want to thank you for that.
“I also feel few people within our party are still thinking in terms of the enormity of the challenges and errors. I want to encourage such individuals not to feel bad because we faced more than that in 2017 and 2018 in Oyo State. And today, we have PDP at the local level 100 per cent. At the state level, we have over 96 per cent because we have some opposition.
“So, we don’t have to be discouraged. Yes, we have a lot of hard work to do in terms of appealing to ourselves and reaching out for unity within the party at the national level. And I want to say that I am here to play a positive role for us to be able to achieve this desired unity. I am fully committed to the great party.”
Earlier in his remarks, the chairman of the PDP BoT and former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, commended the governor for his prompt response to the incident and for showing his prowess as an engineer by directing that a structural integrity test be conducted on about 230 buildings in the affected area.
The body expressed its condolences to the governor and the government of the state as well as families, who lost loved ones to the incident, as it observed a minute of silence for the departed souls.
It noted that the nation must avoid a recurrence of such incidents by embarking on a thorough investigation.
The PDP BoT equally commended Makinde for delivering on his electoral mandate to the people of the state through laudable infrastructural projects.
Meanwhile, the Bodija Estate Residents Association (BERA), Oyo State, yesterday alleged that not less than nine people were still missing after penultimate Tuesday’s explosion at Adeyi in Bodija, Ibadan, the state capital.
In the preliminary report Makinde presented to President Bola Tinubu last weekend, the fatality figure was put at five, 77 with varying degree of injuries and 58 houses damaged during the explosion that rocked Dejo Oyelese Street.
However the President of BERA, Muyiwa Bamgbose, while speaking with journalists, raised the alarm on the sideline of a face-to-face consultative forum, organised by Bodija residents
He said: “It is now eight or nine people that have been missing. We have brought the map of the street, and we are trying to account for house by house, that’s how we can actually get accurate figure. If a person was seen yesterday and you can’t find him today, then you know you need to get worried.”
He said the declaration was based on their findings while collecting the data of the residents and number of the affected houses.
On the medical treatment received at different hospitals, he said: “A lot of people paid for their medicals. Those people could afford it. So, many people didn’t even go to designated hospitals, they just went somewhere to treat themselves.
“I must also confess that some of the hospitals were treating people initially without even recording, there were so many people, they were just giving them first aids.
“The hospitals contributed, they treated people without asking for money and then some people that could afford such took themselves somewhere, maybe private hospitals.
“In terms of hotels, there are some people whose families paid hotels and asked them just go there and check yourself in, because there isn’t proper organisation.
“If you are a decent person, they tell you that the government is going to pay for your accommodation. Our fear is that even government may end up being short-changed because how do you know who stays where?,” he queried.
