Abule Ado explosion: NGF visits site, donates N200m to relief fund

The Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), on Saturday, made a donation of N200million to the Abule- Ado Soba Relief Fund, to cater for victims of last week Abule- Ado explosion, which claimed many lives and left several others injured, with billions of properties loss.

It would be recalled that the Lagos State government had set up a N2billion relief fund in the wake of the disaster, with an initial donation of N250million.

NGF Chairman, Dr. Kayode Fayemi,  who is also the Ekiti State governor, announced the donation during the on-the-spot assessment of the site, accompanied by Kano and Edo states governors, Umar Ganduje and Godwin Obaseki respectively.

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Fayemi, who commiserated with the state and commended the state governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his quick response to the situation, said the donation was a collective contribution from the NGF, promising that each state would further donate to the fund.

“We are aware of the relief fund and have the authority of my colleagues to contribute to it. We are contributing N200million to the relief fund. I want to offer our condolences to the lives that have been lost. We pray for the avoidance of such incident in the future,” the governor said.

He explained that the body saw the need and urgency to have an on-the-spot assessment of damages done by the disaster to enable them to report back to the larger house, noting that the latest disaster was an opportunity to do something about NNPC pipeline across the country.

“The Nigerian Governors Forum saw the need and urgency to have on-the-spot assessment so we can report back to the larger house. Our colleagues wanted us to have a sense of the extent of damages done here.

”I want to thank Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu who has brought us here. Our mission is to commiserate with Lagos State government and people of the state particularly those who were affected by this incident. Life is critical to us.

There is a lot we have learnt about the indiscriminate construction of buildings along the NNPC pipeline. This is an opportunity to do something about NNPC pipeline across the country,” he said.

“There has been lots of pipeline damages that have resulted in loss of lives. We would make recommendations as NGF on how to tackle these perennial problems. Any loss of lives is unfortunate. We thank God it happened on a Sunday,” Fayemi said.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE